The Heart With the Cards
by R Amythest
Summary: When Yugi gets sent to a mysterious land to fight an invincible duel monster, there are familar faces around every corner, and chaos and destruction as well. But in all this, can Yugi find love in a certain Mystical Elf? Ch.17! The traitor COH returns!
1. Memories and Love

R Amythest: I just got this crazy idea. . .  
  
Yami Amythest: Emphasis CRAZY  
  
Yami Amythest2: I don't see you getting around any better.  
  
R Amythest: Yeah, those two really don't get along. My second yami is starting to act like my yami's yami but I really like yami2 better. *smiles at Yami Amythest2*  
  
Yami Amythest2: My turn to type again! Whoppe!!!!  
  
R Amythest: Oh, and 'From a Hieroglyphic' is really turning out to be a Mary Sue, but hey, this IS about how I found MY millennium Item!  
  
Yami Amythest: Which one, Sceptre or Feather?  
  
R Amythest: I wanted to do sceptre, but you're too mean for material. :p  
  
Yami Amythest2: So you're doing feather?  
  
R Amythest: maybe, maybe not. . . Lemme try something after the fic.  
  
***Yugi's POV***  
  
"Hey Yug', remember when we had that duel in the shadow realm and we were all cards?"  
  
Joey and I were having a sleepover at my house. We were dueling, and I was beating him badly.  
  
"Yeah. You looked kind of funny in that flaming swordsman suit. Oh and I play one magic card, face down, and I play mystical elf in defense mode!"  
  
I stared at the illustration. The mystical elf got me through a lot of tough spots. . .  
  
**FLASHBACK FROM 'DUEL WITH A GHOUL**  
  
Dark Kaiba: But blue eyes' points match!  
  
Yugi: No they don't. I made my Mystical Elf chant a spell ever since I put it on the field.  
  
*blue eye's attack points rise to 4100*  
  
Yugi: WHITE LIGHTING ATTACK!  
  
**FLASHBACK FROM YUGI Vs MAI PART TWO**  
  
Yugi: I play one card in defensive mode!  
  
Mai: But you can't, shadow of eyes, remember? It lures any monster into attack mode.  
  
Yugi: ANY monster? *flips over mystical elf * It may lure male monsters, but not female ones!  
  
**FLASHBACK FROM THE VIRTUAL GAME**  
  
Princess: I know that a loss of a friend is too much for any hero to bear. . .  
  
*princess giggles and transforms into a mystical elf*  
  
*Kaiba and Yugi gasp*  
  
Yugi: Princess (something) is really a mystical elf!  
  
Mystical Elf: *chants*  
  
*Joey, Mai, and Mokuba appear*  
  
**END OF FLASHBACKS**  
  
"HEY YUG'! Did ya hear me? I said I attack your elf with red eyes black dragon!"  
  
I snapped back into reality.  
  
"What's with you, Yug'? Every time you play that card, you go to dreamland!"  
  
I blushed. "It's just something. Oh, and my magic card was the trap, mirror force, therefore destroying your red eyes!"  
  
Joey groaned. "Now I don't have anything strong enough to penetrate 2000 defense points. . ."  
  
I smiled. Mystic won it again. . .  
  
**THAT NIGHT**  
  
Joey and I were chatting about duel monsters- AGAIN! To make it interesting, I played truth or dare with duel monster questions.  
  
"Yugi, truth or dare?"  
  
"TRUTH!" One time Joey dared me to sing the pokerap in physics class, so I'm not going there again.  
  
"Um. . . Oh, I got a good one! Yugi, do you love the Mystical Elf?"  
  
Oh great, he HAD to bring up that one. Well, I have to tell the truth. . .  
  
"Actually," I paused. "Yes I do."  
  
Joey rolled over laughing so hard that he started coughing and turning blue.  
  
"Hey Joey, can you keep it a secret?"  
  
"Sure. . ." He said in between coughs.  
  
"Fine then. Joey, truth or dare?"  
  
"Dare!" his eyes glinted with excitement.  
  
"I dare you to rip up your red eyes black dragon and throw it in the fireplace!"  
  
He groaned. "Yugi, that's cruel!"  
  
I chuckled.  
  
"Fine then, truth!" he announced.  
  
I smiled, amused. I knew exactly what to ask. "Do you love a duel monsters card?"  
  
"I er. . . I mean I uh. . ."  
  
I laughed. "I take that as a yes!"  
  
He blushed a deep shade of crimson.  
  
"And I take that as a cue to go to sleep! There's enough work to do in the morning!" my grandpa snapped.  
  
We shared one last grin, then turned over and fell asleep. A mysterious chanting echoed in my ears.  
  
********************  
  
*scene: R Amythest is rubbing the feather against the sceptre's spell- casting end*  
  
R Amythest: Viola! And you get. . .  
  
*sceptre sends a jolt of static electricity up and R Amythest's hair shoots out in all directions*  
  
Yami Amythest: *bursts out laughing* you look hilarious!!!  
  
Yami Amythest2: Hey, aren't you even humane, wand girl?  
  
Yami Amythest: It's sceptre, thank you.  
  
R Amythest: Aha! Got it! *The feather is straight out, like a staff, at the end of the millennium sceptre*  
  
Yami Amythest: But then, what happens to us?  
  
*The yamis start looking faint, like an image*  
  
Yami Amythest2: Uh. . . you spoke too soon.  
  
*the yamis merge into each other.*  
  
Yami Amythest & Yami Amythest2 person (oh, I'll just call it Yami Amythest for typing's sake): what just happened?  
  
R Amythest: O_O; Don't ask me, I'm clueless.  
  
Yami Amythest: I feel like one person, strangely, with two pasts. . . interesting. . .  
  
R Amythest: well, now I have just one yami. Good thing too. I couldn't stand all the arguing.  
  
Yami Amythest: Well, who knows, maybe your previous yamis were yin and yang.  
  
R Amythest: Which was which?  
  
Yami Amythest: I think the feather was the Yin. After all, it IS the Egyptian symbol of truth. BEHOLD, FOR I AM THE RULER OF THE BIRDS!!!! WAHAHAHA!!!  
  
R Amythest: great. One yami with double the craziness. Oh well, easier to cope with. Into the sceptre, NOW!  
  
Yami Amythest: Ok. Love ya, Yami Yugi!  
  
R Amythest: sigh. . . I guess when they combined, some traits left. Oh well, if she likes Yami Yugi only, my story is a lot easier to write. See ya! 


	2. A Messenger for Help

R Amythest: YAY!!!!!! I happened to type this the day before my account is unlocked so I'm kinda hyper. . .  
  
Yami Amythest: Like that's different from yesterday?  
  
R Amythest: Uh. . . yeah, I was really hyper yesterday.  
  
Yami Amythest: well, I don't want to type this one.  
  
R Amythest: Good, because I already have this planned out. Special thanks to Evil_kitty, who helped me a bit with the storyline. Now, I think this whole thing will be in Yugi's POV, so no use putting up the viewpoint asterisks any more. / Is Joey's mindlink they have (introduced later) and \ is Mystical Elf's mindlink. and are thoughts, evidentially Yugi's since it's his POV. It happens that the first few chapters are the shortest, so don't get discouraged- KEEP CHECKING BACK!!!!!!  
  
***************Chapter Two: A Messenger for Help****************  
  
I felt myself awakening. I didn't feel the softness of my sleeping bag, but I felt a wet, cool sensation below me. The chilly morning air was above me. Where am I? I opened my eyes. There was grass below me. How in the world did I end up here? I lifted myself off the ground. Joey was beside me, snoring. The way his hair was, I couldn't help but think he looked like a German Shepard. Nah. I shook my head. I shouldn't think like that, he's my best friend!  
  
I looked at him again. Wait, does he usually wear a hat while going to sleep? I glanced at his body. FLAMING SWORDSMAN? I looked down at myself. Purple armor glinted in the sunlight. To my right was a staff, not unlike the Dark Magician's. . .  
  
I picked up the staff. It felt almost comforting, almost like I was made for it. I looked at Joey again. His head was rested on his arm, and underneath was his sword. I knew exactly what we were. We were Duel Monsters- again!  
  
This time, however, we were in a vast, grassy plain. The clouds above us were white and puffy. This couldn't possibly be the shadow realm. It was too. . . innocent. The grass below us was still sparkling with dew, not yet evaporated. I looked at our surroundings. Flowers dotted the plain. There were no trees in sight. A cliff extended out to our left. The rumble of the sea below fit nicely with the scene.  
  
I heard a yawn to my right. Joey was waking up. I bet he'll freak when he finds out we're duel monsters. . .  
  
"Hey Yug', can you turn up the heating? It's freezing. . ." He blindly felt around for something. Covers, I bet. He felt around, but only succeeded in finding his 'dress.' Thinking it was his blanket, he pulled it up around him, revealing his 'Performance Sword' boxers. Or was it underwear? He always wore tight boxers so you could never tell.  
  
"Um. . . Joey. . ." I stuttered. "Your. . . underwear. . ."  
  
"Huh?" He bolted awake. Looking down below him, he realized he had pulled up his skirt. Pulling it down and blushing heavily, he had his first glance at me- in violet armor!  
  
"WHAT?" He jumped up and took his look around. He saw the sword lying on the ground. "Does. . . this mean we're duel monsters again?" he whispered.  
  
I nodded. "Evidentially, we're not in the shadow realm."  
  
"Of course! There's too much light to be in that place!"  
  
A chanting met my ears. I found it familiar. I think it was the same as I heard when I fell asleep. I turned around towards the cliff. A Mystical Elf was standing there, facing the sea. Her shimmering blonde hair was swaying softly in the breeze. I blushed.  
  
"So, Yug', ya gonna propose to da lady?"  
  
"I. . . um. . . I don't think. . . it's. . . uh. . . the right. . . er. . .TIME! Yeah, time, to do that!" I stuttered nervously. Joey chuckled, amused.  
  
"Whatever you say, Yug'."  
  
I stood up. The staff wasn't heavy, to my surprise. The armor didn't slow me down any, either. It was almost like the armor was made especially for me.  
  
The Elf stood over the sea, chanting its mysterious tune. Her dress below her billowed in the breeze. Wait. . . was that rustling sound the sound of her dress, or something else?  
  
Glancing to the area around the peninsula, there were some bushes. They were a strange aqua color, and the leaves weren't recognizable. Of course they aren't recognizable, this is duel monsters world!  
  
/You are quite right./  
  
Huh? Where did that voice come from?  
  
"Hey, Joey, did you hear that voice?" I asked.  
  
"What voice? Are ya hallucinatin'?"  
  
Strange. I knew I heard SOMETHING. The leaves rustled again. I'm certain it was the leaves! I crept closer. A Judge Man leapt out, threatening Mystical Elf. She turned around in surprise. The Judge man prepared to strike.  
  
"NO!" I yelled, raising a hand. A loud explosion was cast, and the judge man shattered into pieces. The Mystical Elf returned my gaze, and I felt myself blushing- again.  
  
"Thank you, brave warrior," she said in that soft quality of hers.  
  
I felt my face grow warm, embarrassed. It wasn't like I knew how to greet ladies, never mind a lady CARD in a WORLD I DIDN'T KNOW that I just SAVED around 5 SECONDS AGO.  
  
"Y-Your welcome. . ." I stuttered.  
  
Joey wasn't as shy as me. After all, he didn't just save someone and be thanked by her. "Hey, do you know where we are, or why that Judge Man attacked you? I mean, the Duel Monsters around here MUST have SOME decency about attacking ladies like you!"  
  
The Mystical Elf sighed in that quiet tone of hers. It reminded me of the softest breezes at home. Home, which I missed by now.  
  
"That is why I sent you here."  
  
"Huh? Whaddya mean?" asked Joey?  
  
"Joey! It's not polite for you to interrupt! And don't talk to a lady like that!" I muttered through gritted teeth and clenched fists. Strange, I usually didn't care about Joey's politeness that much, since he was almost never polite or remembered his manners. Except when it came to Serenity.  
  
The Mystical Elf smiled. Joey found it very hard to stop himself from laughing. I was almost certain I turned a shade of crimson again.  
  
"A powerful card has come to destroy our kingdom. 'Cryptic Griffon,' they call it." She sighed that special sigh of hers. "Its attack is higher than any of our warriors, and we desperately need help." There was pure helplessness in her eyes. I found it hard to resist.  
  
"Please help us. . ." she begged. I nodded. She didn't need to add that last sentence. I was willing to VOLUNTEER to help out this place.  
  
"That ok with you?" I asked Joey.  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, we need to teach 'em respect!"  
  
/and whoppe some ass!/  
  
Huh? It was a voice in my head again! But this time it was a male- it sounded like Joey. Maybe this was some sort of special communication. Let me give it a try. . .  
  
JOEY! Watch your language! I mentally shouted.  
  
/Eh? Yug'? What are you doing in my mind?/  
  
\So, you discovered the Mindlink\  
  
Mystical Elf?  
  
She nodded.  
  
\Call me Myst.\  
  
/So, as I was sayin', where are we?/  
  
\The world of Duel Monsters.\  
  
"No way," I gasped, breaking the silence.  
  
"What, Yug', you KNOW about this place?"  
  
"Yeah, grandpa told me something about it."  
  
Joey curiously drew closer.  
  
Myst, can you send images and memories through the Mindlink thing?  
  
\You can, depending on your will.\  
  
Will?  
  
\It is hard, but you can master it with enough determination and skill.\  
  
Ok, then, let's give it a try. . .  
  
**FLASHBACK**  
  
A little Yugi sat down on a stool as an archeologist Grandpa prepared for 'story time.'  
  
"So, what would you like to hear about now, little Yugi?"  
  
Yugi scratched his hair and came up with an idea.  
  
"Can you tell me about the Shadow Game thing that you're studying?" Yugi asked in a slightly high-pitched voice.  
  
Grandpa chuckled. "You really are destined for that game aren't you?"  
  
Yugi looked up with large curious eyes.  
  
"Well, let's see. . . 5000 years ago in ancient Egypt, they played a Shadow Game, that we call Duel Monsters."  
  
"You mean the same duel monsters that that Pegasas guy invented?" Yugi asked curiously.  
  
"Yes Yugi. But their Shadow Games was with real monsters, and soon the game got out of hand. A young Pharaoh banished them to another world, one that they called 'Duel Monsters World.' And this. . ." Grandpa brought out the glimmering case that held the millennium puzzle's pieces. "Is one of the Pharaoh's sacred possessions. It is also believed to have some sort of magic."  
  
"Can I see it?" asked Yugi. He felt curiously attached to it.  
  
"Not right now. When you're older, son."  
  
**FLASHBACK END**  
  
I nearly fell down in exhaustion. I guess it's harder to master than I thought. But it will be vital. If we need a secret to be sent, then it's reliable.  
  
\I see you're a bit tired. That's natural. A beginner in mindlink can get tired easily. I'm surprised you got all that through. You must be very strong and brave, not to mention persistent.\  
  
I blushed, for what seemed like the 20th time today. It wasn't like compliments from pretty ladies were an everyday thing.  
  
Th-thank you very much!  
  
/Yug', how come you never told me?/  
  
I didn't know you until around 10 years later!  
  
/And your point is. . .?/  
  
Gee, I never knew you'd be interested!  
  
\I hate to interrupt your lovely conversation. . .\  
  
Joey blushed now. Myst certainly was polite, and Joey probably wasn't used to it.  
  
\We must get going. My village is not far if we go through the woods. . .\  
  
/Then the woods it is!/  
  
\But the Cryptic Griffon's henchmen are there by the thousands!\  
  
/Uh, scratch that thought./  
  
\On the contrary, if we go the way AROUND the woods, it could take weeks, maybe even months!\  
  
Joey groaned.  
  
"So it's a lose-lose situation, right?"  
  
Myst nodded. "But we must get there within two days, and the only way to do that is go through the woods." She smiled at Joey. "But with you two, I think it is perfectly safe."  
  
We both blushed. Joey got a little TOO overenthusiastic. "Yeah! No spooky bug's gonna beat me!"  
  
I tapped him on the shoulder. "A great moth is quite too much for you to handle, Joey."  
  
He turned around and faced me. "A moth or no moth, we're going now!"  
  
Myst smiled. "Then I guess we're going, right?"  
  
We nodded in unison, heading for the woods that lay at the edge of the meadow.  
  
*************  
  
Yami Amythest: *pats R Amythest on the back* Wow, Hikari, you ARE good at this stuff.  
  
R Amythest: =^_^= Thanks! If you're wondering, all the duel monsters in here (and going to be in here) are real, excluding the Cryptic Griffon, that's my monster. If you want a little info on it, here it is. . .  
  
Name: Cryptic Griffon  
  
Type: Wind  
  
Level stars: 15  
  
Creature: Winged Beast  
  
Description: More powerful than blue eyes, it is the most powerful bird of mythology, or any beast of that matter. Ruler of the skies, its every movement of its powerful body creates a whirlwind. Although it is usually in peace, when provoked, it wrecks havoc upon the land.  
  
Points: 5200/4900  
  
Effect: When put in play, pull all other monsters back into your hand, and special summon one monster from your hand. Destroy all traps on the field. (including yours)  
  
What it looks like: A griffon, expect it's about as big as the sears tower! Its wings are coated with a substance that looks like gold. Its paws have large claws at the end. Its breast is coated with bulletproof feathers. Looks kinda scary, but imagine if it's on your side!  
  
Don't worry! It's a made-up card for the story! You're not going to see me pull that from my deck anytime soon. Oh, but if it WAS real, put a blue eyes in your deck, and WHAMMO! Two super-powerful monsters for the price of one! (read the effect!) But in my story, it's just going to summon henchmen and whip up hurricanes.  
  
Yami Amythest: GOD! That is one scary beast. . .  
  
R Amythest: Yeah. You'll see it on the battlefield. . . I mean, dueling arena, later. 


	3. Weaver of Wings

R Amythest: well, here's another chappie. Nothing much to say except Joey falls in love. Later! Oh, evil_kitty, I decided performance sword's 2000 attack points could be outdone with Yugi's 2500, so I changed it.  
  
***************Chapter Three: Weaver of Wings****************  
  
We wandered through the thick underbrush, Joey cutting off a few bushes now and then. No monsters have attacked us so far, fortunately.  
  
"Hey, my arm's getting tired now! Can Yug' take over?" Joey complained.  
  
"Sorry, Joey, you're the only person with a sword. On top of that, you're the only person who's fire," I reminded him.  
  
He groaned. "Sometimes I wish I came here as Red Eyes Black Dragon."  
  
Myst's eyes widened. "No, Joe, Black Dragons are a symbol of chaos and destruction- and is also very popular with the cryptic griffon."  
  
"Ok, then I wish Yugi came here as Gaia," Joey said.  
  
"Gaia the Fierce Knight? No, Joey, I don't know the firsts about horse- riding," I argued.  
  
Joey swung again and burned away some more bushes. "Well, you could at least learn a fire spell!"  
  
A wall of trees blocked our way.  
  
"Oh great," Joey groaned. He hacked like crazy. Amongst all the chopping and flames, I could've sworn I heard a dragon's cry. I turned around to Myst, who was looking around cautiously.  
  
I startling loud cry grabbed our attention to the right. A large red eyes popped its head out of the trees. It aimed an inferno fire blast right at us. Joey just barely dodged it. The fire blast turned the tree wall into a wall of fire. We ran frantically through the woods. The black dragon followed us in hot pursuit. Literally! It burned almost everything behind us!  
  
/So this is like what it feels to be in Jurassic Park!/  
  
Our case is worse! Not only is he a dino, but he has unlimited firepower!  
  
\Not -unlimited.- I know that in your versions, you can blast and blast again, but in here. . .\  
  
Myst spun around. "What are you doing?" I called out. Myst started to chant a spell. It was interrupted with another fire blast. I barely managed to pull her out of range.  
  
/Forget the spells, RUN!/  
  
\If he gave me a few seconds more, I could've snapped his mouth shut!\  
  
/He didn't though. You have to face the facts. . ./  
  
We could feel the heat behind us. The whole forest was hot and heated- probably just how the red eyes wanted it. We ran and ran until we came upon an army of great moth cocoons. They just started to hatch. I knew they were weak in their current state, but not for long. . .  
  
"Dark Magic, ATTACK!" I yelled. All the cocoons disintegrated. However the red eyes didn't wait. It cast its inferno blast once more. Joey tried to hold it back with his flaming sword, but the red eye's fire was far more powerful. It quickly gained area. I tried a dark magic attack. My attack is a lot more powerful than red eye's. I should destroy it!  
  
Instead of taking the blow, however, it just opened its mouth and absorbed it. Then it aimed a fire blast at us. I shielded my face, prepared for the worst. Then, there was a flash, and a sparkle of light. I peeked out with one eye.  
  
\Wingweavers. They are on our side. They usually combat in the cloud battlefield, we're lucky there's one here.\  
  
The wingweaver cast another glittering beam, and the Red Eyes was destroyed. It looked back at us.  
  
"Myst, haven't seen you in a while!" Wingweaver commented.  
  
"Yeah, it's been awhile," replied Myst.  
  
"Um, you know her?" I asked Myst.  
  
"Of course. Harp and I were companions before the griffon came. Then we had to spilt up, as we were in different ranks and jobs and all."  
  
"Oh, and kid. . ." Harp turned to me. "Don't try attacking the red eyes. Every one of them has a book of secret arts, outdoing you by a long shot." Harp shuddered. "I can only beat them by 50 attack points in their souped up condition."  
  
"Hey, hate to break the loveli' conversation here, but we have to get OUT of here BEFORE dusk. . ." Joey made a creepy voice. "OR THE GREAT MOTHS WILL TAKE US AT DAWN!!!"  
  
"What he says is true," Harp commented. "All the great moths in here take a long while to hatch, but at the peak of their power, they have a whooping 3000/2500. We better get out of here as quickly as possible."  
  
Joey arched an eyebrow. "You know the way?"  
  
"Certainly," she replied coolly. Harp turned around and continued on straight ahead.  
  
"I like that lady!" Joey whispered to me. I sighed. Wee all have our times, don't we?  
  
**AT TWILIGHT**  
  
"Hey, are we ever gettin' outta here?" Joey complained.  
  
"Patience. It's not far," Harp answered, casting a spell on the underbrush. A path cleared in front of us. On either side of it, we heard the breathing sounds of beasts, waiting to attack us. Above us, the moon was shining brightly, lighting our little 'path.' Suddenly, its bright rays were blocked. A castle of darkness was hovering above, intercepting its light. It turned extremely dark, and we couldn't see a thing! We could hear Angel of Silences closing in on us. Although most of us were stronger than it, in groups, they could mean trouble.  
  
I felt a sharp jab to my side. OW!  
  
/Yug', are you ok?/  
  
I think one of those creatures got me!  
  
~HELP!~  
  
/\Harp!/\  
  
~They're carrying me away!~  
  
A mystical chanting broke the screaming era. I recognized it as Myst's! A bright light shone from Myst. It pierced the darkness. Harp was still caught, however, by six large Angels of Silence.  
  
"FLAMIN' SWORD OF BATTLE!" Joey yelled. It hit two Angels, who burst into pieces.  
  
"DARK MAGIC, ATTACK!" I shouted. Two more angels burst into pieces.  
  
With the left half of herself free, Harp destroyed the last two Angels of silence.  
  
~This place will be now be silent- peacefully.~  
  
I saw Joey blush heavily. Myst came up to us.  
  
"The moths will hatch soon. We need to make it out, fast!" She told us. We nodded. Harp led the way.  
  
"This way!"  
  
She led us through the woods, winding through the heavy growth. We saw the cocoons on either side starting to crack. We saw the opening. At first it was a glitter of light, but it became stronger, until it was an opening in the trees.  
  
"We're he- AHHH!!!!!!!" Joey screamed.  
  
*******************  
  
R Amythest: I thought Joey was getting too mushy with wingweaver, so I did something to him!  
  
Yami Amythest: *sighs and shakes head* and you say I'M evil.  
  
R Amythest: Ok, anyway, there may be a few cards in here you don't know, so I'll include a 'cards you might not know' section.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cards You Might Not Know~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Name: Wingweaver  
  
Stats (whether I made it up or if it's a real card, and from which pack and rarity): Real, Pharaoh's Servant, uncommon, I think  
  
Points: 2750/2400  
  
Type: Light  
  
Creature: Fairy  
  
Level Stars: 7  
  
Description: A six-winged fairy who prays for peace and hope  
  
What it looks like: It has six bluish wings, each about as big as harpie lady's. It wears a golden dress-robe thingy and has pinkish skin. It has purple hair, and wears a purple jade necklace on her forehead. Its belt is a bunch of pretty stones with a pretty sapphire in the middle.  
  
::::::::::::::::::::  
  
Name: Angel of Silence  
  
Stats: it's real, but I have no clue, whatsoever, about the booster pack or the rarity. I only know it exists because Bakura foresaw Pegasas's future with this. . . it was scary. . .  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ok, so those were the cards. I own a wingweaver. It saved my hide quite a few times in duels. And as I said above, I don't know anything about the Angel of Silence except Bakura owns it. So there.  
  
Yami Amythest: Ok, next chappie, we duel for the privilege to type!  
  
R Amythest: But we only have one deck. . .  
  
Yami Amythest: No, I'll make a deck out of your other cards. . . IT'S TIME TO DUEL! 


	4. You, too?

R Amythest: I know Joey fans must've wanted to kill me where I left it off last time. . .  
  
Yami Amythest: Heh. It was entertaining.  
  
R Amythest: but it turns out I won anyway, so I might add a few character torture scenes.  
  
Yami Amythest: YEAH? Well, lookie here!!!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~Yami Amythest's torture section~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ryou:  
  
I barley had the strength to make it up the stairs. My left knee was filled with pain, and my blue jeans were no longer blue. My arms felt limp. My head was throbbing intensely. I tried to go up the stairs, but I didn't have the power to lift myself up. With the last of my remaining strength, I inched my way over to the couch and collapsed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yami Amythest: Well, what'd you think?  
  
R Amythest: YOU'RE MEAN! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS PICK ON MY BISHIES?  
  
Yami Amythest: why would I want to torture mine?  
  
R Amythest: Ok, then. Let me even out the scales.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~R Amythest's torture section~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yami Yugi:  
  
The chamber was cold and dark. /Of course it is, it's a dungeon./  
  
Of all things, the invaders took me prisoner in THIS musty room. A squeak to my left startled me. A rat scurried past me. It seemed to be running away from something. I looked up. A large form shaped into a cloaked man with a spear.  
  
"Wh-what do you want?" I whispered hoarsely.  
  
"Your soul," its raspy voice said in a creaking voice. It swung its spear at me. The last thing I saw was a red trickle of liquid in front of my eyes. . .  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
R Amythest: WAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!  
  
Yami Amythest: *sniff* poor guy. . . YOU WILL BE AVENGED!  
  
R Amythest: but right now I think the readers are anxious for the REAL story. Ok, then readers!  
  
**************Chapter Four: You, too?*******************  
  
I ran up in horror as I saw Joey's form disappear over the horizon. Careful not to fall myself, I peered over the rocky ravine. Joey clung to his sword, which was stuck in the cliff.  
  
"I'll get him!" Harp volunteered. She opened her six magnificent wings and glided down. She hovered by Joey. "Hold on!" She reached forward. Joey clung to the sword by one hand, and reached with the other. Just as he was about to reach her, his hand slipped, and he continued falling down.  
  
"JOEY!!!!!" we all shouted. We watched in horror as his figure, an orange dot, disappeared until we could see it no more. Harp flew down after it.  
  
"I know a way down. We must hurry!" Myst ushered.  
  
I followed her. She led me along the cliff, until she reached a gentle slope. She slid down the slope. I followed. We ran in panic, wondering how Joey would look like when we reached him. Flat, maybe? Or just a pool of red? I shivered. It wasn't a pleasant thought, that's for sure. To our surprise, he was in one piece. A harpie lady was just barely supporting his weight, making the decline down slower. We stared in amazement.  
  
That harpie lady looks awfully familiar. . .  
  
/It should! It's Mai!/  
  
"Mai?!"  
  
Mai set Joey on the ground, then danced up and hugged him.  
  
"I'm SO glad you're safe!"  
  
Joey was enjoying the hug, but it was a bit tight. He got Mai to calm down.  
  
"What are you doing here, Mai?" I asked.  
  
Mai shrugged. "Some psycho thing happened to me. I fell asleep; enjoying the nice new 200-dollar genuine-dawn covers I bought yesterday, and then something started singing and I woke up in this strange place."  
  
Do you know the mindlink?  
  
Mai scowled. |Of course I do!|  
  
can you send the scene over?  
  
|sure kiddo.|  
  
**MAI'S FLASHBACK**  
  
A chanting was in Mai's ears. She teleported in her sleep and was brought to a small place by a lake. When she woke up, her reaction was somewhat like Yugi's.  
  
"Where am I?" She glanced down her body, and gasped. "WHAT am I? I-I-I'm Harpie lady!"  
  
"And a good thing, too," a smooth voice came from the woods. A green phantom king emerged from the trees. Mai screamed. The phantom king tensed.  
  
"Quiet, there, lady, or you will send the moths coming."  
  
"Moths?" Mai paused. "Hey, wait, let me control the situation." Mai reached in her pocket when she remembered she didn't have one. "Is. . . this all a dream?" she whispered.  
  
The phantom king sighed. "No, ma'am. The two sides, light and dark, are battling again. We are told to hire warriors. Come now, we must make it to camp before the moths are up."  
  
**END FLASHBACK**  
  
So, we all got sent here.  
  
"Do you know if any of the others are here?" I asked.  
  
"No, but I do know that someone's reporting a Blue Eyes. Could be Kaiba, but who knows?" Mai shrugged. "Stranger things have happened."  
  
"Blue eyes?" Myst mouthed. She closed her eyes. "But most dragons are on the opposing side! I know from what I've seen come across Yugi's mind that he's not with us, but. . . AGAINST us?"  
  
I wore an interesting look. "You racked my mind?"  
  
Myst giggled slightly. "If your heart is connected, why not your mind?"  
  
I suddenly saw everyone staring at me, in an odd way. I blushed, yet again. Joey ran around singing a STUPID song.  
  
"Yugi and Myst, sittin' in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!!!!! FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES LAUGHTER, THEN COMES THE BABY!!!!!!! WHOOOO-EEEE!!!!"  
  
He suddenly caught everyone staring at him.  
  
Joey just then noticed Mai hugging his waist. What a pleasant view that must've been. Joey blushed heavily.  
  
/Mai. . ./  
  
|Yes Joseph?|  
  
/Can you get off?/  
  
|Anythin' for you, hon.|  
  
. . .did Mai just call Joey what I think she did?  
  
\Sure as syrup, Yugi.\  
  
Myst gave me a look that was irresistible. If I had any doubt before about our love, there wasn't any now. I tried to veer off the subject.  
  
"So where's the Green Phantom King now?" I asked Mai.  
  
Mai shrugged. "I don't know. He's not a reliable tour guide. He tells me occasionally to fly up into a tree until he's back. This time he told me to hang around in that bush up there." Mai pointed to a small branch sticking out of the cliff. It was barely big enough to fit a petite angel, much less a harpie lady. "But I just suspended myself in midair, amusing myself by plucking leaves off the 'bush' when I heard Joey yell." Mai hugged Joey again.  
  
"Not a reliable 'tour guide?'" a smooth voice said. We turned our heads toward the forest, from which the voice was coming from. The green phantom king emerged.  
  
"For one, I'm not a tour guide, and second, I'm quite reliable whenever there's trouble!" he snapped in that somewhat 'smooth' accent. We all sweatdropped. He growled. "I do have my reasons for 'disappearing,' but that is for ME to know and for YOU to find out."  
  
/Yug'? I don't find him pleasant./  
  
|He does get a bit snappy sometimes. He's not a good person to first meet here.|  
  
=Do you 'humans' always talk behind backs?=  
  
\Leafe, don't you think you should go out and continue doing what you do best?\  
  
=Whatever ma'am.=  
  
'Leafe,' the Green Phantom king, marched back into the woods. Almost as soon as he reached it, he was invisible.  
  
/How does he DO that?/  
  
\Joey, it's camouflage. They don't call him king of the forests for nothing.\  
  
/KING OF THE FORESTS?/  
  
may I remind you it's the middle of the night and it's no time for bickering?  
  
/LIKE I CARE?/  
  
While Joey was arguing with Myst about Leafe's title, I counted our group. One-two-three- and four, counting me, are present. Wait, there were four of us BEFORE we met Mai. Guys, is anyone missing?  
  
\*gasp* Where's Harp?\  
  
|Here! And it's HARPIE, thank you!|  
  
/No Mai, she means Harp, the wingweaver./  
  
|Who?|  
  
/Never mind, you never saw her./  
  
yeah, Harp is missing! The last time I saw her was when she dived down for Joey!  
  
We looked around. There was no Harp in sight. Suddenly. . .  
  
~AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!~  
  
The high-pitched scream pierced the eerie silence. It echoed in our minds.  
  
"Harp!" Myst, Joey, and I shouted. We knew it was no good, however, because we could only hear her in mind, she must've been far, far away. . .  
  
HARP! Harp, can you hear me?  
  
~. . . help me. . ..~  
  
Her last feeble calls of help faded away. Our faces were flooded with worry, even Mai's.  
  
*****************  
  
R Amythest: I think I'll leave it where it is; just to make you guys hang on a cliff. . .  
  
Yami Amythest: it's not supposed to be literal. . .  
  
R Amythest: oh well. For you people who liked Harp, believe me, it had to be done.  
  
Yami Amythest: and now. . .  
  
R Amythest: for 'The Cards You Might Not Know' section!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cards You Might Not Know~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Name: Green Phantom King  
  
Stats: Real, Legend of Blue Eyes, common  
  
Points: 500/1600  
  
Type: Earth  
  
Creature: Plant  
  
Level Stars: 3  
  
Description: This youthful king of the forests lives in a green world, abundant with trees and wildlife.  
  
What it looks like: He (obviously, if it was a she it'd be a queen) has green hair about 15 inches long, and. . . er. . . here's the weird part. He has bushes growing out of his back and his headband is a bunch of leaves on a vine. His hands are basically tree branches shaped like hands. His eyes are red, and that makes it all look just weird. All in all, he's a plant turned human. As I said earlier, they don't call 'im King of the Forests for nuttin'.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
R Amythest: I think everyone knows harpie lady well, right?  
  
Yami Amythest: they should. It's Mai's favorite card.  
  
R Amythest: Just in case you don't, just for a bit of info to keep up the story, its attack/defense is 1400/1300. If you know that it ought to make story flow a lot easier.  
  
Yami Amythest: that's all for now, right?  
  
R Amythest: Correct. OK, you heard her! SHOO! SHOO! Get reviewin'! Don't just stand here like deer in headlights!!! Go and click that 'Go' button right there, and make sure the purtty purple says 'Review Story,' 'Add Author to favorites,' 'Add Story to favorites,' or 'Add to author alerts,' nothing else, OK? 


	5. Magic Village in the Hills

R Amythest: Dun, dun, dun!!!!! Here's where the adventure begins!!!!  
  
Yami Amythest: Good for you. Hurry up!  
  
R Amythest: You like it?  
  
Yami Amythest: It's ok. NOW HURRY UP!  
  
R Amythest: pushy, pushy. . .  
  
********************Chapter Five: Magic Village of the Hills*****************  
  
"Where could she be?" I wondered out loud.  
  
"I hope she's all right. . ." Joey mumbled softly.  
  
"Harp. . ." Myst said quietly, letting the breezes carrying the name, softly.  
  
"I don't know her, but I bet she was that Wingweaver I saw plummeting to the ground and trying to catch Joey," Mai mused.  
  
We lit up. "She was! What happened to her?" I asked.  
  
"I saw a streak grab her. At first I thought whatever-it-was was trying to catch her, but from what I hear here, she was kidnapped."  
  
"But where? And what horrible thing did they to do her?" Myst pondered silently.  
  
"I don't know. . ." I whispered. But who does?  
  
"GUYS!" a familiar voice shouted from the forest. Leafe came out, panting for breath.  
  
"I have heard word the Cryptic Griffon's army is going to attack Magic Village soon!"  
  
"How do you know all this?" Joey inquired suspiciously.  
  
"No time, and besides, I wouldn't tell you anyway," Leafe said, annoyed.  
  
"Hey, what's Magic Village like?" I asked Myst, curious.  
  
"Magic Village is a place where what you guys call 'Magic Cards' roam. Actually, in this world, we call them 'Effectioners.'"  
  
"Anyway, we're close by it, if you flying people will lend a hand to non- flyers."  
  
"YOU FLYING PEOPLE? I'M THE ONLY PERSON WHO FLYS HERE!!!" Mai bellowed.  
  
Leafe sighed. "Then walking would take a day, with all those steep places and ditches."  
  
"Hey Mai, ya think you can carry us one at a time?" Joey asked.  
  
"And take four trips back and forth? No," Mai answered. Then she put a dreamy look on. "Unless you want to, Joey. . ."  
  
Joey gave Mai a bizarre look. "Maybe not."  
  
"Maybe I can do a growth spell," Myst pondered.  
  
"Growth Spell?" we all asked, clueless.  
  
"Yes," confirmed Myst. She started chanting in that mystical way of hers. Her body glowed, and Mai's did too.  
  
"What in the world?" Mai shouted, eyes bulging. Mai started to grow larger, larger, until she was quite big enough to support Leafe, Myst, Joey, and me.  
  
"Now we get on!" Leafe ordered. "There is no time to lose!"  
  
We boarded Mai. Myst held on to the left shoulder, Joey held on to the right one, Leafe was on the back, in the small section between the wings, and I held on to both her arms, trying not to fall off, as I got the worst deal. Worse, it was pitch black, and Myst's 'Lighten' spell was the only thing that kept us from falling off altogether.  
  
We flew over a plateau and a forest. Leafe was right, it was a matter of minutes before we reached a small village tucked in a valley. Myst used a spell to make Mai her regular size again.  
  
"Cryptic Griffon's army has not yet invaded," Leafe whispered. "But they probably will, soon."  
  
As if on cue, a screech was heard. Various effect monsters and magic cards looked up to see the blue eyes white dragon creating a white lightning attack. It had swirled up in it mouth. Everyone ran away from the blast it created. All, but one who was unable. Joey stared in fear, too panicked to move, paralyzed on the spot, took the hit- directly.  
  
"JOEY!" I yelled in fear. The beam enveloped Joey and swirled in all directions. After the dust cleared, Joey lay stunned, laying on the dirt of the village, eyes still open, gasping for air. Then, he disappeared altogether. His form exploded into millions of golden particles. It lit the dark night sky, and became the stars that shone so brightly above.  
  
"Joey's. . . gone?" Mai asked, choking back tears.  
  
"I KILLED THE PUPPY DOG!" the blue eyes shouted in disgust. Something's familiar about that phrase. . . "as much as I taunted him, intimidated him, I never intended to kill him! Crygif, I'll get you! You made me a Monster!" It opened its mouth to the moon. "I swear, Crygif, I'll get you someday, for what you did to my brother and me, or my name isn't Seto Kaiba!" The blue eyes gave one last cry to the moon, then stomped off.  
  
"Kaiba?" I said in astonishment. "So he is here. . ." I remembered what he said. "What do you think that Crygif guy did to Mokuba? And why do you think he's on the dark side?"  
  
Mai shrugged. "Beats me. It must be really depressing for him to get enough rage to kill Joey." Mai looked over her shoulder to the spot where Joey left this world.  
  
"Frankly, I don't think he was aiming," Leafe admitted. "I think he wanted to get it over with."  
  
"I think the dark side has used his brother as bait, and kept him for hostage. Then they could get Kaiba to do whatever they want him to," Myst theorized.  
  
"That makes sense," I stated. "But right now, we need to worry about getting Joey back."  
  
"JOEY!!!" cried a feminine voice. We turned around, and we saw the small crowd parting. A crescent-shaped staff was nudged in between two Duel monsters, and the owner of it pushed its way into the clearing.  
  
"Joey. . ." Magician of Faith sobbed.  
  
"Tea?" I recognized.  
  
Tea began to glow. Her tears dropped onto the land that Joey was blasted on, and Joey slowly began to form again.  
  
"Oh. . . my head. . ." Joey moaned.  
  
"Joey! You're back!" Mai shouted happily as she threw herself into Joey's arms.  
  
"What just happened there?" Joey asked.  
  
"Thank Tea that you're alive," I told him, "Her effect brought you back."  
  
Joey looked around. "Tea? Where?" He finally caught sight of Tea, looking at Joey with her staff clutched to her chest. "Oh, thanks. I owe ya one!"  
  
"It's ok. That's what friends are for!" Tea smiled. Joey's stomach rumbled. "And anyone have any food? I didn't eat all day!"  
  
Myst, Mai, Leafe, and I looked at each other. "Neither did we."  
  
"Well, be thankful you stumbled into me. The person who took me in is really nice."  
  
"Who is that card?" Mai asked.  
  
"Shining Friendship!" Tea said, grinning ear-to-ear.  
  
"How appropriate," Joey mumbled.  
  
"Can we sleep at your place, too?" I asked.  
  
"Sure!" Tea answered.  
  
**AT TEA'S PLACE**  
  
"Tea, who are these people?" shining friendship asked, peeking out a crack in the doorframe.  
  
"Shimmer! These are my friends! You understand that, don't you?" Tea told it.  
  
"Oh, ok, then, but tell them not to mess up the house!" shining friendship said, opening the door. "And tell that weird bushy guy to make sure he doesn't track any leaves into the house!"  
  
"I am NOT a weird bushy guy!" Leafe said angrily. "I'm king of the forests, with all due respect and these leaves are part of my back and hair!"  
  
"Then sleep in the forests, -Your Royal Highness!-" shining friendship squeaked.  
  
Tea sighed. "The shining friendship's name is Shimmer, and she's very picky about being clean. She even made me wash off my staff in the creek five times before she let me bring it in the house!"  
  
Shimmer obviously lost the argument. "Some kings don't have the slightest respect for their subjects!" Leafe grinned as Shimmer flew over to the stove to prepare their meal.  
  
"So, how'd it go?" Myst asked, chuckling.  
  
"I taught her a thing or two about letting plant-type monsters in her house," Leafe replied, plopping down in a chair.  
  
"Leafe, you'd better be polite, or I'll tell your occupation. . ." Myst warned.  
  
Leafe gave Myst a sharp glare. "You'd better not."  
  
Myst sighed. "Then watch your manners. Shimmer here was kind to take you in, so don't ruin it for US at least!"  
  
I watched Myst give Leafe a lecture about being polite to a host. Tea tapped me on the shoulder. "Hey, Yugi, what's Myst mean by 'you're always so brittle?'" I sighed. "Leafe doesn't get along with anyone so far." "Oh," Tea said flatly.  
  
"AND THAT'S FINAL!" snapped Leafe. Myst sulked away.  
  
"Pushy, pushy, doesn't even know to be polite to a lady!"  
  
I half sighed, half giggled as Myst went over to help prepare our lunch. Joey was trying to help, but so far, all he was doing was overheating the dinner, causing it to burn. You see, Duel Monsters have those old ovens where you have a fire on the bottom and you use it to cook with. Shimmer couldn't start a fire, so she asked Joey to help. Joey, having no control of his fire, unleashed too much, and now Shimmer was telling Joey to stop the rampaging flame in the oven.  
  
"Un le ki weh go pha. . ." Myst chanted. The oven's flames seemed to calm down a bit, just right for cooking.  
  
"Good!" sighed Shimmer. She went back to chopping the carrots.  
  
My mind wandered, and went back to a different subject. Where's Harp?  
  
\I wish I knew, I seriously wish I did, but I don't, and the only thing we can do right now is hope, hope that she's okay.\  
  
*************************************  
  
R Amythest: Hehe, another (sort of) cliffe!!!!  
  
Yami Amythest: uh huh, just great.  
  
R Amythest: and now, I decided to add a little pronunciation guide for the names. . .  
  
A is long a, as in came  
  
I is long I, as in dime  
  
E is long e, as in me  
  
O is long o, as in smoke  
  
All the constants are pronounced as they usually are, and if it is capital, then it means that it is the name of it. J, G, and C being exceptions:  
  
J is j as in mage and jackal  
  
G is g as gate  
  
C will be never used, instead, I will use k and s.  
  
ex:  
  
are R  
  
jeepers G-p(er)s  
  
(er) is the well. . . er sound, as in her or farmer.  
  
(ing) is the ing sound. Just plain ing would sound like 'hinge' or something.  
  
(air) is the sound that's like 'air,' such as despair or mare or hare or something.  
  
(sh) is the 'sh' sound, as in hush and flush  
  
means a syllable break. For example:  
  
nast-E-(er) is nastier  
  
dRk-ness is darkness.  
  
I'll go over more as they occur to me.  
  
Ok, on to the good stuff!!!!!!!  
  
Shimmer is pronounced (Sh)im-m(er)  
  
Tip: god, it sounds just like the verb shimmer. There shouldn't be confusion, but I just wanted to type this.  
  
Leafe is pronounced lE-Af  
  
Tips: not pronounced like leaf, for one thing. Say Lee and then. . . well, long A and then f! pay close attention to the key and this shouldn't be too bad.  
  
Myst is pronounced mist  
  
Tips: just say mist. I like strange spelling, though, so that's why I used y instead of i. It also is the first four letters of Mystical, didya notice?  
  
Crygif is pronounced kri-jif  
  
Tips: the last syllable, jif, is pronounced like the peanut butter brand! After that tip, just use the key up there, ok?  
  
Harp is pronounced hRp  
  
Tips: just pronounced like the instrument harp.  
  
*********************  
  
R Amythest: and now for the cards section. . .  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cards you might not know~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Name: Shining Friendship (you better know it! It has a whole show to itself!)  
  
Stats: Real, Legend of Blue Eyes, I think, I don't have a clue about its rarity.  
  
Points: 1200/1100  
  
Type: Light, I think  
  
Creature: Fairy, I think  
  
Level Stars: 3, I think  
  
Description: No clue  
  
What it looks like: A little 'squeaky toy,' well, a round ball with a halo and two little power-puff-girl-style arms/hands. It has two little feet not unlike Jigglypuff's (pokemon.). I think it's orange or red. It has two eyes that look like buttons without the holes and a little mouth shaped like pikachu's.  
  
==================================  
  
Name: Magician of Faith (you should know Tea's favorite card. . .)  
  
Stats: Real, I have no clue about the pack or rarity, although I think its rare and in Legend of Blue Eyes  
  
Points: 400/300 (yikes!)  
  
Type: Light, I think  
  
Creature: Fairy or spellcaster, I know its one of them, and effect  
  
Level stars: either one or two  
  
Description: No clue  
  
What it looks like: A woman in a blue cloak with a staff, and on the top of the staff is a crescent with a ball or a star attached to it, I don't remember. The hair is in pony-tails and is colored red and purple mixed together.  
  
Effect: You get a card back from the discard pile  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
R Amythest: Ok-ey-too, I think that's all.  
  
Yami Amythest: GOOD! Hikari, you have too many of these side-thingies.  
  
R Amythest: None of your business, this is MY story and MY story only! You said you wanted ME to write some angst and romance stories!  
  
Yami Amythest: Ok, then, Hikari. . .  
  
R Amythest: Good, then its settled.  
  
Ryou: *walks in nervously* um, Miss Authoress?  
  
R Amythest: *eyes light up and tries to hold back fan-girly feelings* yes?  
  
Ryou: *shifts uncomfortably* I was wondering, can I be kept out of this?  
  
R Amythest: well. . . *hesitates*  
  
Ryou: *uses secret weapon- LARGE INNOCENT EYES!!!!*  
  
All the fangirls (including R Amythest): KAWAII!!!!!  
  
R Amythest: Umm. . . *tries to hold back fangirl emotions and tries to hold up authoress emotions* maybe, the audience will vote. . . Ok, I have a little plot script- you know, sorta like a story layout, and I put Ryou down later as the change of heart card, but I -might- be able to do without it. . . Audience, it's your choice, Ryou in or out! Vote in your reviews! *glomps Ryou*  
  
Ryou: *tries to get out* every time you put me in, I'm always in some way tortured! Can't you count me out for once?!  
  
R Amythest: *glomp* *glomp* I LOVE YOUR SOFT VOICE!!! *glomp*  
  
Yami Amythest: *pries R Amythest off Ryou* that's quite enough. Uh. . . Bye, all you peoples, and review!!! And vote for Ryou's freedom. . . 


	6. Secrets of the Village

R Amythest: nothing really to say except enjoy!  
  
******************Chapter Six: Secrets of the Village******************  
  
I woke up to a flash of light. Just a flash? Why not a beam, like always? Waking up further, I hear arguing. I opened my eyes and found Leafe and Shimmer arguing over the curtains, open, close, open, close, and so it went.  
  
Leaving them to their lively debate, I went into the bathroom, which Shimmer had shown me the day before. It really wasn't much of a bathroom. It was just a pump, which was the only source of running water, a bucket, and a. . . um. . . -water closet.- You know what that is, don't you? They didn't have a shower, so you had to strip and wash yourself with a towel in COLD WATER. Even worse, they didn't have a lock, or at least a proper one. The lock was a simple latch, which could be opened with a simple shove. Pretty stupid.  
  
So I carefully set down my armor, which was surprisingly not heavy. I set my staff on the counter, and tried for the first time this method of cleaning. I heard the argument in the nearby room grow louder and louder. Someone stomped out into the hallway towards the door. I froze. The door burst open and I was left hiding behind a miniature towel that barely hung down to my waist.  
  
"YOU KNEW YUGI WAS HERE? DIDN'T YOU?! OH, YEAH, GO TO THE BATHROOM AND COOL OFF, LEAFE!" Leafe yelled. Shimmer fluttered over.  
  
"YOU'RE THE PESSIMISTIC JERK WITH A BUSH GROWING ON YOUR BACK!!!" screamed, sort of squeaked, Shimmer.  
  
Both seemed totally indifferent to the fact that I was standing in front of them, half-naked. Hoping they wouldn't notice, I reached for the armor lying on the floor. I was about to slip my armor on when. . .  
  
"Hey Yugi!" Tea popped her head in the doorway. "We're having-" She froze in the middle of her sentence and stared at me, holding the shirt-armor thing in front of me, as if to defend from an attack.  
  
"And. . . I'll take that as a cue to leave. . ." she squeaked. She inched out the doorway. Joey came running.  
  
"What? Did you tell him we're having waffles?" Joey asked Tea. Upon seeing me, he froze and let out a scream. The whole household came running and stared at me. Shimmer finally stepped in between the crowd and me.  
  
"Okay! That's it! Next time I'll install a tougher lock!" Shimmer ushered the crowd out and slammed the door behind her, causing about a million items on the shelves to fall.  
  
I sighed. This is going to be one of those memorable visits. Making SURE that no one was watching, I slipped on my armor. I went over to organize those bottles that fell. They were labeled 'Headache Remedy,' 'Pain Killer Spell,' and all those other types of spells and cures for everyday pains. Putting some bottles back on the shelves, I concluded that Duel Monsters used magic for nearly everything. I suddenly noticed that one of the bottles spilled. It was labeled 'Knock-Out Gas.' A purple liquid flowed from it, and it evaporated almost on contact with the air. I inched towards the wall, away from the fumes. The purple air quickly filled the whole room. It reached towards me, and I held my breath. I ran towards the door and tried to open it, forcing open the lock. Once outside, I gasped for breath. I ran down the stairs as quickly as I can. The sound of Leafe and Shimmer arguing was still present.  
  
"I KNOCKED OVER SOME SORT OF KNOCKOUT GAS! QUICK!!! WE HAVE TO EVACUATE!!!" I yelled. Everyone turned towards me.  
  
"You knocked over the KNOCKOUT GAS?!" Shimmer screeched.  
  
"OF ALL CLUMSY THINGS, YOU CHOSE TO DO THAT!" Leafe roared. Oh well, at least they're agreeing.  
  
"No time!" I said quickly. I saw the lavender mass floating down the stairs. Everyone else seemed to see it, too. They got off the table and burst out the door, Leafe and Shimmer arguing about who was going out first. Only they would do that.  
  
We watched as the purple haze billowed all around the house.  
  
"That's what you get for being hospitable," Shimmer fumed. "I'm going to get Magest to fix up this mess!" Shimmer stomped out, or rather, flew out, towards the long aisle of shops and magicians.  
  
I watched her leave. "Who's Magest?" I asked to no one in particular.  
  
Myst sighed. "The spellcaster. He's a Mighty Mage, and he's quite nice. Not like SOME duel monsters I know. . ." Myst glared at Leafe, who adverted his gaze and whistled innocently. "Leafe. . ."  
  
"What? I didn't do anything!" Leafe said, raising his hands to the sky. "I'm innocent!"  
  
"Oh really, I know what you did!" snapped Tea, her patience ending. "First you piss off my NICE new friend who was KIND ENOUGH TO TAKE YOU IN amongst all the dirt you carry around, and then you start arguing about installing a curtain when it was HER HOUSE, and then you blame her for telling you to cool off, saying that she KNEW that Yugi was in there, and THEN you argue about going through HER doorway!" Tea shouted at Leafe, who was retreating from the hotheaded Tea who was poking him in the chest and insulting him in every way possible. "And FINALLY, you are not WORTHY of holding the title KING! With your manners, you should be a lowly servant!"  
  
Joey cheered at this. "You tell 'em Tea!"  
  
Leafe finally grumbled in defeat, storming off to Ra-knows-where, stringing curses all the way.  
  
\Hey, you want to know something funny?\  
  
|/Yeah!/|  
  
^PERHAPS!^  
  
I spun around towards the mental voice. Shimmer was flying towards us with a Mighty Mage following her.  
  
^But first, we fix my house!^  
  
"Who's dat?" Joey asked.  
  
"I'm Magest, salutations," the Mighty Mage answered. "Now, what with your house?"  
  
"Knockout gas got spilled!" Shimmer squeaked.  
  
"Ok, then." Magest raised his wand and hummed. A white light surrounded the house, and the lavender gas turned back into a liquid, which Magest put into a bottle he had with him. He screwed the lid shut tightly. "Good thing everyone evacuated. Now, that will be 10 hets.  
  
"Oh shoot," grumbled Shimmer as she dug through the bag attached to her waist. She dug out a shiny silvery coin and handed it to Magest.  
  
"I'll be going, now." With that, Magest turned around and headed back downtown.  
  
Myst, what are hets?  
  
\The duel monsters currency. 10 hets really isn't much, Magest's quite nice, but seeing how poor Shimmer is, it means a lot to her.\  
  
^Yeah. I guess guests really drain your budget.^  
  
Shimmer went back into her house, not telling anyone to follow. "Do you think we should go back inside, or just leave?" I asked timidly.  
  
"Maybe we can go back in, but be careful now," Myst told me. Upon seeing Leafe sulking back, she added a phrase. "And I don't think Leafe's invited."  
  
Leafe shot her a mean glare. "Who said?" No one argued with the cross king of the forests, and all went back in into the old house.  
  
Shimmer snorted as Leafe came back into the household, ready to argue again. I mentally sighed. Those two were always at it.  
  
**AFTER NOON**  
  
"Where are we goin' again?" Joey asked for the third time today.  
  
I sighed. "The weaponry. Shimmer said the shopkeeper's sly and cheats people of their money but I have yet to see." We approached a tent. Sounds of metal filled the place. Shimmer lifted up a flap of the tent and went inside. We followed.  
  
"Ok, we're here to buy four horn of the unicorns, and don't get smart with me!" Shimmer snapped. The shopkeeper turned around, a Maha Vailo.  
  
"Miss, it's been a long time since you last visited, hasn't it?" the Maha Vailo said in a voice somewhat similar to Leafe's, but slightly with a French accent. He reached for a horn on the shelf. Indeed, it was beautiful. It reflected the sun's rays, and I felt a mystical power from it.  
  
Mai flinched. "We're supposed to put those on our HEADS?!"  
  
The Maha Vailo chuckled. "Maybe in your version, but here, you hold it and all the power goes to you."  
  
I eyed a sword on the shelf. It was dark, and it seemed to call out to me. "Um. . . Mister Maha Vailo. . ."  
  
He looked up. "Call me Marvan."  
  
"Mr. Marvan sir, how much is that sword up there?"  
  
He stared at me with bulging eyes, and trembling fingers. He put on gloves and reached for the sword. "The Sword of Dark Destruction is a powerful item indeed, but no one has ever dared to tame it." Marvan brought the sword to me and set it on the counter. Everyone except me fidgeted and stepped back. I, however, was pulled towards it, almost like it had chosen me. I reached for it. Everyone looked at me with wide eyes.  
  
"Here goes. . ." I whispered. I grasped its handle. It emitted a strong light and merged with my staff. It was now a sword, of the darkest shade of violet, with a stone-embedded hilt.  
  
Marvan gulped. "Yes, indeed, it has chosen you. Use it well." He turned around to work on a mace.  
  
"But wait, doesn't it cost something?" I asked.  
  
Marvan turned around. "You WANT to pay me?"  
  
"Uh, no."  
  
Marvan returned to his work. "Then leave, and get on with it!"  
  
I turned to leave, the whole group staring at me. Finally, Shimmer broke the silence. "That's the first time he didn't ask for money!" ^and probably the last.^  
  
Joey interrupted the mysterious atmosphere. "Didn't we go for the horn of the unicorns?"  
  
"Joey?" Leafe started.  
  
"Ya?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
************************  
  
R Amythest: did ya like it? I hope so. I know, Leafe and Shimmer do NOT get along, but who DOES get along with Leafe? Find out soon! Of course, you have two more chapters to vote for the Ryou issue.  
  
Ryou+ Yami Yugi: *holding up sign that says 'Vote for the Character's Freedom!*  
  
Yami Amythest: OH YAMI YUGI!!!!! *glomps Yami Yugi to no end*  
  
R Amythest: *hugs Ryou tightly* Ryou!!!!!!!!!  
  
Ryou and Yami Yugi: *hold up sign higher than ever* HELP US!!!!  
  
**************Pronunciation Guide****************  
  
Magest is pronounced maj-est  
  
Tips: it's the first two syllables of majesty  
  
Marvan is pronounced mR-von  
  
Tips: Marvin, with a French accent, sort of anyway.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~Cards you might not know~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Name: Maha Vailo  
  
Stats: real, Magic Ruler, super rare (holo)  
  
Points:1550/1400  
  
Type: light  
  
Creature: Spellcaster  
  
Level Stars: 4  
  
Description: (none)  
  
What it looks like: a guy in a blue costume with a ridiculous hat with ball things hanging from strings all around it. It has markings like the Celtic guardian's on its face.  
  
Effect: For each equip card, boost attack by 500 and do its effect  
  
I think I chose it to be the weapons person is because of its effect.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
R Amythest: That's all for now!!! *glomps Ryou*  
  
Ryou: Help me, someone, please!  
  
Yami Yugi: you're not off any worse than me. . . *tries to get Yami Amythest off*  
  
Yami Amythest: you're only getting away if we don't need you for the show, which the audience will decide. Ja ne! 


	7. Destiny

*****************Chapter Seven: Destiny*****************  
  
Night fell in Magic Village, and my friends and I were huddled together having a (pitiful) supper. It seems Shimmer was one of the more poor residents of Magic Village, but she had got along financially before we came. I couldn't believe she already spent half her month's salary on our visit, and she didn't even know us well! Tea was right; she was really nice, that is, until Leafe butts in.  
  
"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, DON'T LOOK AT MY BACK FOR FIREWOOD!!!!" Leafe shouted.  
  
"YOU HAVE BRACHES GROWING THERE!!!!!" Shimmer screeched at the top of her lungs.  
  
"THESE ARE MY BODY PARTS FOR RA'S SAKE!!!!" Leafe bellowed.  
  
"Can't you two get along for once?" asked an exasperated Tea.  
  
"HE/SHE STARTED IT!" They both yelled, pointing at each other.  
  
/I think this'll work./ "The next person who yells is going to get a blast of flame from my sword, so SHUT UP!" Joey hollered.  
  
Mai took the sword from his hands and expertly used it on him. Of course, Harpie Lady's attack is much lower than flaming swordsman's, but it still made a fine punishment.  
  
"Hey!" Joey screeched as the flames singed him. "What was that for?" Mai shrugged. "You yelled."  
  
Joey glared at Mai, but upon seeing him angry, Mai hugged him and apologized. "I'm sorry Joseph!"  
  
Joey peeled off Mai. "Ok, just get offa me!"  
  
Leaving them to their dispute, I silently ate my fill and went upstairs. Myst, seeing this as a good way to avoid getting buzzy ears again, followed. Tea came, too, leaving the bickering couples to their arguments.  
  
#I kind of wonder why best friends like Joey and Mai would scream at each other like that. . .# I recognized that voice as Tea.  
  
It's like you said, it's their bizarre way of showing that they care.  
  
\But I don't think that's true in the case of Leafe/Shimmer.\  
  
#Definitely not.#  
  
The sounds of louder threats were replaced with sounds of glass smashing.  
  
"I don't think we should've left them down there," Myst said softly as she ran down the stairs. We followed her to the sight of our lives.  
  
"Ok, the fortune glass broke into three pieces, that means. . ." Shimmer held her breath, as if she didn't want to say something.  
  
"We will be best of friends?" Leafe messed with his vine-headband. "You think it messed up?"  
  
Shimmer shook her head. "Nope. Fortune Glass is never wrong."  
  
"Fortune glass. . . of course. . ." recited Myst.  
  
"What? What's fortune glass?" I asked.  
  
"Fortune glass, when shattered, depending on the number of pieces it's broken into, predicts the future. No known shattering has been wrong, but this might be the first." Myst recalled. "Once after a chaotic war, everyone was really angry at the other side, and a wise Mystical Elf used a fortune glass to see what would become. It broke into eight pieces, meaning that there would soon be tragedy coming to the beholder." Myst sighed.  
  
"What happened?" asked Tea softly.  
  
"Indeed, the truce was soon broken, and the Mystical Elf's love, a Celtic Guardian was gone in the war." Myst brushed aside her long blonde hair. "And what's more, that Mystical Elf was my cousin."  
  
Leafe and Shimmer looked at each other. "So we'll be. . ." Shimmer started.  
  
"Friends?" squeaked Leafe.  
  
I directed my attention to the other group. Mai was glomping Joey to no end, and Joey was enjoying it. I smiled. Finally, we have gotten along. Myst came up to me.  
  
\Good thing, too. If we have fights within ourselves, we can never defeat the mighty Cryptic Griffon.\  
  
**ABOUT MIDNIGHT**  
  
I still couldn't sleep. My eyes traced the grooves on the ceilings, curving around and around and around until they vanished in the center. I wonder if that's like us, going around in life until the end.  
  
Finding that sleep had yet to find me, I got up. I went over to the window, and lifted open the curtains. The half moon reminded me of our moon back home, the one I found so comforting on dark nights. At least something was the same. Peering down, some spellcasters were wandering around, preparing for anther busy day. Looking closer, I saw among them, a Change of Heart. Wait, change of heart? That sounds familiar. . . I glanced around the room for a pair of binoculars or something.  
  
I remembered the bottles on the shelves. Being sure as not to disturb anyone, I ran into the bathroom. I searched the cabinet until I found the potion I was looking for: vision enhancement.  
  
I ran back to the window. I poured the potion over me. I felt my eyes burn. I squeezed them shut, rubbing them. What happened? My vision focused in and out. Acting quickly, I looked out the window and searched for the Change Of Heart. A white and black blur turned into the change of heart. I focused on the hair. I didn't see anything, though. With one final glance, revealing white hair, I blacked out.  
  
**LATER**  
  
"Yugi? Yugi?" a feminine voice called.  
  
"Hey Yug' ya all right?" a Brooklyn-accented voice said.  
  
A soft voice I knew as Myst's came closer. "Yugi? Yugi!"  
  
I fidgeted. I opened my eyes, but I didn't see anything, and I had a throbbing headache.  
  
"Yugi!" someone sighed in relief.  
  
I blinked. I STILL didn't see anything. "Is the room totally dark or something?"  
  
Quiet whispering was heard. "No, it's bright daylight," answered Myst.  
  
I rubbed my eyes again. Still nothing. "Then how come I can't see?" There was more quiet mumbling. Then a shrill voice pierced the silence.  
  
"WHY IN THE WORLD DID YOU USE THE WHOLE BOTTLE OF VISION ENHANCER?" Shimmer, I guess, shrieked. Every duel monster gasped.  
  
"A WHOLE bottle of VISION ENHANCEMENT?!" a voice I recognized as Leafe yelled. I dumbly nodded, not knowing where he was. (And not caring where, either.)  
  
"I needed to use it to see someone on the streets!" I told them.  
  
"Why?" Mai inquired. "I mean, why would you want to see some freak standing on the street?"  
  
I didn't know how to reply. If I told them Bakura got into this mess, I didn't know what reaction they would have. "It looked like someone I knew!"  
  
"Who?" they asked together. At this I hesitated. "You wouldn't know him."  
  
"I would!" Joey chimed in. "I know everybody you know!"  
  
"Same here!" piped up Tea.  
  
I remembered the conversation I had with Myst.  
  
'Myst, can you send images and memories through the Mindlink thing?'  
  
'You can, depending on your will.'  
  
'Will?'  
  
'It is hard, but you can master it with enough determination and skill.'  
  
I focused to send the name only to Tea and Joey. Bakura. Please don't tell anyone else. . .  
  
/Okay. . ./  
  
#Why'd you want to keep it a secret?#  
  
I don't know how Shimmer would react towards another guest, and how the others would adjust to a magic card joining us. There are other reasons, too.  
  
/Such as. . .?/  
  
I don't want to tell, 'kay?  
  
#Yeah, Joey, leave Yugi to his privacy!#  
  
"Hey, I'd like to know what conversation's going on here!" Mai complained, tapping something.  
  
"What happens when you use a whole bottle of vision enhancer?" I asked. There was silence.  
  
"You go blind, and the cure is expensive." Myst said quietly. To this, there was a shrieking cry.  
  
"Shimmer. . ." called Leafe, evidently chasing after her. I guess this is where the fortune glass came in. I felt bad, knowing I spent the last of her money.  
  
"Let me try first," Myst announced. She chanted some sort of spell, but my vision remained in its current state. "Any better?"  
  
I shook my head. "Nope." Someone wailing came in.  
  
"But I barely make that much in two years!!!" wailed Shimmer.  
  
"Maybe we can help make up for it," suggested Joey.  
  
Shimmer shook her head. "There's no one in town that would hire any of you, except maybe a dark magician or a mystical elf, and Yugi's blind and Myst's powers are exhausted!"  
  
I felt Myst's hand. "You are?"  
  
There was another short silence. "Yes. I spent the last of my spiritual energy trying to restore your vision, and with full power, I could've."  
  
I hugged her hand and put it on my chest. "I'll wait, Myst, and I really hope and can _somehow_ help make money, I have to. . . after all of that trouble I caused her, I have to do _something_ to help!" There was a sigh.  
  
"Shimmer shook her head no, Yug'," Joey replied.  
  
"No one can possibly have a job for a blind dark magician, most jobs required glaring, and you can't do that if you can't see!" Shimmer announced.  
  
"Oh," was my flat reply. I reached for my staff-sword, finding it comforting, but I remembered I wasn't on my bed. "Can someone hand me my staff?" I asked. There was a silence and a scream.  
  
"No, Yugi, it seems that only you can touch it," replied Myst over all the racket whoever-it-was was making. I hoisted myself up and steadied myself, preparing to walk without vision. I did this for fun at times at home, but never before had it been so serious. I set my hand on the wall and let it guide me to the corner, where I turned. I felt the door and there I went straight forward. I touched a wooden object.  
  
"Yug', what are you doin'?" Joey asked in astonishment.  
  
"I need the sword. It's calling out to me, and if no one can get it, I will." I felt along the bed, until I reached the dresser. I felt around it, and I touched the familiar cool feeling of the sword. I held it, and closed my eyes, letting the belonging feeling seep over me. It was then I had a vision.  
  
****************  
  
R Amythest: Yoo Hoo, CLIFFIE!!!!!  
  
Yami Amythest: -_-; whoop de do. Listen, even I am anxious to see what happens, can't you type a bit more?  
  
R Amythest: sorry, next chapter.  
  
Yami Amythest: C_C *tries to do puppy dog eyes but fails miserably* grr, why do Ryou's work and mine don't?  
  
R Amythest: because he's Kawaii and cute and you're not! :p *glomps Ryou*  
  
Yami Amythest: Sigh. . . anyway, review by clicking the button right here. . . _________________________________________| | | | | | | | | | | | | | \|/ 


	8. a Vision

R Amythest: Ahh, yes, I know all you peoples were probably going to kill me when I didn't update for the whole weekend. Our modem was down, so our 'net didn't work. But here's the chappie!  
  
*************************Chapter Eight: A Vision***************************  
  
I was in a dungeon; it was cold, dark, and damp. I looked around. Huh? Looked? I thought I was blind. . . I glanced down at myself and found I was only a vision, ghostlike and transparent. I stared at my surroundings. It was a long pathway, with prison cells lining both sides. I walked down the aisle, looking at the prison doors.  
  
There was the sound of a door slamming. I froze, rooted to the spot, as a witty phantom and large beast that looked like a griffon with metal wings appear. Oh shit, now I'm caught. Instead, though, they went right through me, as if I wasn't there. That makes sense, after all, I'm just here to see this. Keeping that in mind, I followed them. They stopped at a cell. I looked inside the cell. Harp!  
  
"So, you ready to join us?" sneered the Witty Phantom. Harp's eyes flashed defiantly.  
  
"Never!" shouted Harp. She struggled to get out of the strong chains that bound her to the wall.  
  
The Witty Phantom shook his head. "See, Crygif? She won't obey!" Crygif? I know I heard that before. . .  
  
**FLASHBACK**  
  
"As much as I taunted him, intimidated him, I never intended to kill him! Crygif, I'll get you! You made me a Monster!" Kaiba opened his mouth to the moon. "I swear, Crygif, I'll get you someday, for what you did to my brother and me, or my name isn't Seto Kaiba!"  
  
**FLASHBACK END**  
  
Of course, Crygif must be the name of the Cryptic Griffon.  
  
Crygif stepped towards the cell. "If you shall not obey, I will force you!" he said in a low, mysterious voice.  
  
Harp, putting on a poker face, answered with a steady, "How? I will never join your army!"  
  
Crygif rose to its full height, his head touching the ceiling. Looking up, I saw that there were three levels of cells, probably only able to be reached by Crygif, as he was so tall. He had to bend down to avoid tearing down the ceiling. He put on a mysterious voice. "Mere persuasion." Crygif turned to the Witty Phantom. "Get the Mystical Elf!"  
  
**VISION END**  
  
"Yugi!" Myst called, trying to rouse me. I opened my eyes, just for the feeling. Huh? Myst came into view! I looked around the room, my vision as sharp as ever. I can see again!  
  
\You can?\  
  
"Yes! I have my vision back!" I announced excitedly. Everyone lit up, especially Shimmer. My face turned solemn as I remembered the vision. "And I also had a vision."  
  
Everyone gasped. "What did it show?" inquired Tea shakily.  
  
I closed my eyes, remembering the vision. "Crygif, the Cryptic Griffon, has taken Harp. She was in a dungeon cell, and in order to control her, they're going to take Myst as hostage. . ." Everyone gasped and stared at Myst, who was pale.  
  
"Me?" she whispered, "They'll use me to control Harp?"  
  
I nodded. "Probably to convince Harp to do what they say in order to spare you, sort of like the Kaiba thing."  
  
Leafe was trying to make sense of this. "It seems the vision enhancer, instead of blinding you, gave you psychological powers, such as visions of the future!" =Some people get all the luck!=  
  
I sighed. "Good, then. I won't be using too much of Shimmer's money."  
  
Shimmer perked up. "Yeah! And you can predict the future for people and MAKE me money!" Shimmer did a 'happy dance' and bounced around the room.  
  
I, however, remained quiet. "I think the sword had something to do with it. Only when I touched this I got the vision. . ." I paused and examined the violet blade. "It had something to do with it, maybe something to do with Crygif." I shrugged. "Who knows?"  
  
It seemed to put Shimmer out of her elevated mood. "Oh well. At least you can make a bit."  
  
I got up and slid the sword back into its scabbard. "Maybe, but right now, I think we should prepare this place in case of an attack." Everyone nodded. I paused. "But let me try to get a vision, first." I sat down on my bed and held the sword by its handle. I cleared my mind of all topics except for one. Change Of Heart, Bakura. I fell into unconsciousness. Good, it worked. . .  
  
**VISION**  
  
Bakura as the change of heart stood somewhere, it was between some mountains and a village. He turned around and ran for the snow-capped mountains and forests. I followed. Bakura plowed through the forest. I followed. We reached a large metal gate. There was a speaker by the gate. It looked like a voice-activated gate.  
  
"I wonder. . ." mused Bakura. He caught sight of a feral imp. He crouched behind some bushes. The feral imp, as if he was a guard, looked around the gate, making sure no one was there. As he was sure there was no intruder, Bakura leapt out of the bushes and entered the feral imp. The feral imp fell unconscious, and stared to tip before regaining consciousness. Bakura's probably taken his body now.  
  
Bakura pressed the button on the speaker. He roared as the feral imp, and the gates swung open. I followed. I could've sworn he muttered, "I'm coming, Harp."  
  
**END VISION**  
  
I opened my eyes, confused. How did Bakura know Harp?  
  
Tea was standing over me. "What was the vision about?" I held my breath. "Get Joey. I need to talk to you two."  
  
Tea nodded and ran out of the room to find Joey. In a few minutes, Tea and Joey were sitting on the other side of the bed. "So, what'd you see this time?" Joey asked. I exhaled. "That's what I wanted to talk to you two about."  
  
"Bakura went up to a metal gate. He was a Change Of Heart, and he took the guard. He roared into the speaker thing, and the gates swung open. I think he wanted to save Harp. . ." My voice trailed off.  
  
"Harp? What kinda relation does Bakura have with Harp?" Joey wondered.  
  
"Yeah, and how did he get here?" Tea mused.  
  
"I don't know, but he seems involved in the war, too. Maybe he met Harp before we did." I shrugged. "After all, we didn't meet Harp until we were in the forest."  
  
"True, but do ya really think 'Kura was guided by Harp?" Joey asked.  
  
"Maybe," I answered.  
  
"Yeah, it's likely," Tea considered.  
  
I slid my sword back. "Whatever the cause, I know that the army will soon attack. We've got to prepare for battle!" Both of my friends nodded. Suddenly, Leafe burst in the door.  
  
"They've invaded! The Cryptic Griffon's army has invaded Magic Village!" Leafe shouted. We all got up and ran through the door. Leafe followed. We ran outside. Myst, Mai, and Shimmer were already in combat with the army, deep in concentration. I saw Copycat sneak up on me.  
  
"DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" I yelled. The copycat flew into pieces before it could copy me. Suddenly, I had a vision, again. . .  
  
**VISION**  
  
"Yugi, do you think we can get out of here?" Bakura asked me. Another form of me was hanging on the wall by him. Myst was on 'my' left.  
  
"I don't know, the security is heavy. . ." 'I' answered. 'I' chewed my lip. "But we must. . ."  
  
Across from 'my' cell, Tea, Joey, and Mai were being held. Above them was the cell containing Shimmer, Leafe, and. . . Tristen? What was he doing here? I wondered where Harp was. A Witty Phantom passed our cell and stopped by the one next to ours. I glided over to see what the main event was.  
  
"We have caught your 'friends.' Ready to help us now?" the Witty Phantom sneered. He bound Harp's wrists and led her to 'our' cell. She gasped.  
  
"Myst? Yugi? Ryou?" Harp recited. Harp turned to the Witty Phantom. "Why did you bring THEM into this mess? Was I not enough?"  
  
The Witty Phantom laughed a hollow laugh. "They are just the bait, Wingweaver, just the bait, for soon, you will join our army. . ." The Witty Phantom motioned to the door. An army of Red Eyes Black Dragons with shiny claws came in. "All of these vicious beasts have Dragon Nails, and one false move, and they will destroy your friends!"  
  
"Why not me?" Harp whispered.  
  
Witty Phantom turned to her with a smug look on his face. "Because you are needed."  
  
**END VISION**  
  
I regained consciousness in a warm room. I looked up and saw a 'Reborn the Monster' standing over me.  
  
"So you have awakened," Reborn the Monster said quietly. "I was sort of wondering why you weren't destroyed."  
  
I sat up. "That's simple. I was having a vision." I got off the bed. "Listen, my friends and I are going to be captured, my vision told me that, so I need to prevent it!"  
  
"How do you know all this?" she asked.  
  
"No time! Bye!" I yelled as I raced out the door.  
  
"My name's Relene! If you need help, just call!" she shouted as I ran out into the scene. The sun was behind clouds of dust, and it was hard to see. My eyes itched and watered from the sand and dust, but I needed to do this.  
  
I saw Myst barely dodging blows from a Ryu-Ran. Mai was swooping side to side, trying to avoid a blur. Whatever Mai's got there, it's really fast. Shimmer was avoiding one blast and another from a Red Eyes. Leafe was using a bunch of spells he hid in his pocket.  
  
"Mirror Force!" he yelled. It was just in time. The blur, Harpie's Brother, almost got to Mai when he smacked into the mirror force. His own power sent him reeling, and he smacked into the ground and disintegrated.  
  
Leafe got another spell. It was contained in a small bottle that emitted rays of bright light. "Swords of Revealing Light!" he commanded. The opposing side was blocked and was prevented from moving by millions of sparkles of light.  
  
Where did you get that, Leafe?  
  
=It's about time you knew. I'm a light-side spy.=  
  
It all made sense- him wandering off, knowing about the attacks, all of it made sense. It was no time to think, though.  
  
"DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" I commanded. The Ryu-Ran exploded into smithereens. A Blue-Eyes White Dragon Flew down. I immediately recognized him as Kaiba.  
  
"Listen, Yugi, I really don't want to do this, but Mokuba comes first!" he told me. He raised his head and prepared a White Lightning attack. I defended myself with the sword. Kaiba released the ball of lightning. I felt the numbness surround me, like millions of needles. That was all, though. I remained standing! I opened my eyes and saw the sword raised in front of me. It glowed a sky blue for a moment, then it returned to its regular purple. Kaiba seemed to notice. "What?! How could someone of your caliber posses the LEGENDARY SWORD OF SILENCE?"  
  
"Legendary Sword of Silence?" I muttered. Having an idea, I stood up. "Listen Kaiba, I really don't wish to kill you, I really don't, but if this battle is won by the dark side, I will lose all my friends." I raised my sword and charged. Kaiba flapped his wings and took off to the sky. I used the power of my sword and staff combined to fly after him.  
  
"Yugi, I won't try to kill you, but I can't have you following me, or Mokuba won't be alive!" Kaiba aimed another blast at me, and I was sent to the ground.  
  
I sat up, and I noticed that the Red Eyes Black Dragon was now nearly upon Joey and Shimmer. I was ready to say 'dark magic attack,' but instead, almost naturally, I announced another attack. "SWORD OF SILENCE, STRIKE!" I commanded, in an almost different voice. The arena turned black, and a screech was heard. The dueling field was bright again, and the red eyes was no longer there.  
  
Joey was left staring at me. "Who-o-oa, Yug', where'd ya learn THAT attack?"  
  
I shrugged. But in the moment I paused, a loud call was heard that was unlike any other I heard. It was a musical sound, first a high screech, that lowered down to a low tone, like a tuba. It cried with the wind, and sang with the ocean. It was truly mystical. And the creature that owned the call was also like none other.  
  
A large griffon with shimmering wings and long claws appeared. The breast was large and sturdy, and the eyes showed no fear, but looking deeper into the soul, I could sense sorrow and pain. I could sense souls? That's different. Maybe it was another effect of my sword.  
  
The griffon-like creature opened its mouth, and a rainbow-colored swirl started to form. Many of the fighters started running. Among them, I saw Myst, Mai, Joey, Shimmer, Leafe, and Tea among them. I started running after them, afraid of what Crygif might do to us. It released the beam, and it swirled from its mouth, making everything it touched explode. It headed for us. I raised the sword as a natural reaction, trying to hide from the mass destructor. My sword created a shield! It was a mass of energy, blue in color, and it argued with the beam, the energy fields swirling upon each other, each mass pushing the other. At last, my barrier dug into the beam and the beam disappeared.  
  
My barrier sent Crygif reeling, but he wasn't in the least wounded. He gave a mystical cry, and strike ninjas came out from nowhere. They surrounded us. My friends and I used our attacks and tried to ward them off, but our attempts failed. The ninjas tied us up to a beam, and slung us over their shoulders. One tried to take my sword, but it zapped it, so the ninja left it alone. They took Joey's sword, though.  
  
****************  
  
R Amythest: Ah. . . Yugi's vision came true, and they are captured! WHAT WILL THE EVIL AUTHORESS MAKE THEM GO THROUGH?!  
  
Yami Amythest: -_-; just ignore her.  
  
R Amythest: THE MYSTERIOUS ATMOSPHERE GROWS!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHA!!!  
  
Ryou: *sighs* can you get me out of this dungeon now?  
  
R Amythest: *arches eyebrow* who said they're going to go to the dungeon? You're not captured just yet. You just stay in the dungeon because I'll need you for Yugi's vision in chapter 9.  
  
Ryou: *groans*  
  
Yami Yugi: Good thing I'm not in this.  
  
R Amythest: don't get cocky. I think you'll be in the next one as a main character!  
  
Yami Amythest: And it's about meeee!!!!! JOY, JOY!!!!!  
  
Yami Yugi: ATTACK OF THE RABID FANGIRL!!! AHHH!!!!!  
  
R Amythest: No, it's 'From a Hieroglyphic.' *sees Ryou trying to sneak out* No, Ryou! You're staying riiiiiiight here after this as you're a secondary character!  
  
Ryou: *gives R Amythest the puppy dog eyes treatment* pleaaassseee?  
  
R Amythest: ^_^ KAWAII!!!!!! *snaps out of it* Never mind that. You're in it no matter what because I already have 13 chapters typed out!  
  
Ryou: *sighs* so close, yet so far. . .  
  
R Amythest: But, I'll tell you what I can do.  
  
Ryou: What?  
  
R Amythest: *GLOMP!* KAWAII!!!!!!  
  
Yami Amythest: -_-; ok, just review. *curtains close, and the sounds of glomping and other fangirly sounds are still in the air* 


	9. Escape

R Amythest: *still chasing Ryou*  
  
Yami Amythest: *still sweatdropping*  
  
Yami Yugi: *mad because R Amythest wouldn't let him wear leather in 'From a Hieroglyphic'*  
  
Ryou: *still trying to get away from R Amythest and a bunch of drooling fangirls*  
  
R Amythest: *still chasing Ryou*  
  
YAMI!!!!!!!! *BASH!* *BOOM!* GET OFF MY COMPUTER!!!  
  
Yami Amythest: OW! Ok, ok, you don't have to be violent about it!  
  
R Amythest: *reads what Yami Amythest wrote* exactly how could I be chasing Ryou and typing at the same time?  
  
Yami Amythest: hold your laptop on your waist and go running around, like you are now?  
  
R Amythest: -_-; true, true. Anyhow, on with the story!  
  
*******************Chapter Nine: Escape*****************  
  
We were on the wooden beam that the strike ninjas were holding, bouncing along and sometimes getting a mouthful of dirt. The sun was high in the air, and I felt like I was going to be burnt to a crisp. The only thing that kept the ninjas from touching me was the sword, or they would've punched me like they did to Joey.  
  
**FLASHBACK**  
  
"HEY! Doesn't this totin' service include air conditionin'?" Joey complained.  
  
"Joey! Quiet!" Myst shushed.  
  
"Yeah, what she said!" Leafe added.  
  
"I don't need you shushing me!" growled Joey. "Doesn't this one-way trip to hell at least give some comfort?" His complaint was met with a smack in the face. "OW! Ok, I get ya point!"  
  
"HEY! No one touches Joseph except me!" Mai yelled. She was disciplined with a kick on the wing. After that, we were all quiet.  
  
**END FLASHBACK**  
  
Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead, and my mouth felt dry. My tongue felt like paper towels, dry and moisture absorbing. I saw the strike ninjas set us down and empty out a canteen. The cool water looked so tempting.  
  
Guys. . . Are you guys thirsty as I am?  
  
/No! I'm thirstier!/  
  
And then I thought that couldn't be possible.  
  
\Joey, Yugi, we're all thirsty, hungry, and hot. . .\  
  
=so there's no use ARGUING about it!=  
  
^Yeah, we're all dehydrated. . .^  
  
#Can't those strike ninjas show a simple sign of kindness?#  
  
I think they have loved ones as hostages, too.  
  
/Or maybe they're robots./  
  
\#=^JOEY!^=#\  
  
|Don't shout at my boyfriend!|  
  
=See? She admits it! Mai loves Joey!=  
  
I'm too thirsty to be happy. . .  
  
^Don't be a downer!^  
  
Joey stared at the strike ninja closest to him drink.  
  
/must. . . have. . . water! OR SODA! OR ICE CREAM! YUMMMM!/  
  
Mai gave Joey a kick, or at least the best she could do so while being tied up. |JOEY! THIS IS NO TIME TO BE THINKING ABOUT FOOD!|  
  
/I can't help it! I'm hungry and thirsty and hot and. . ./  
  
We heard it already. I am, too.  
  
#We all are.#  
  
My mouth felt amazingly dry as the strike ninja taunted me with the canteen.  
  
"Hehe, sorry bum. No water for you!" the ninja taunted. My forehead was itchy from all the sweat, and I felt really hot and bothered.  
  
Without thinking, I shouted at them. "YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET UNTIED!!!! I'LL GET YOU! I GUARANTY IT!!!!" The strike ninja raised an eyebrow.  
  
"The problem is, you can't get untied!" he taunted. They picked up the stick we were on and started toting us again.  
  
\Yugi. . . gutsy move. . .\  
  
I'm too hot to think properly.  
  
/I think I've had enough!/  
  
=Don't try anything.=  
  
[Exactly.] Huh? Who was that?  
  
Who are you?  
  
[Crygif, and I swear you will suffer for my pain!]  
  
What do you mean?!  
  
[Never mind it. You do know, and don't kid me with it. I see you are suffering. Fortunate.]  
  
\How do you find glory in others' suffering?\  
  
[It is my revenge, and it is very sweet indeed. . .]  
  
=Revenge?=  
  
^What ARE you talking about?^  
  
[It does not concern you. Mind closed.] Crygif blocked his mindlink path. We continued being carried down the dirt path. I felt weak, hot, and like I was going to faint. My sword glowed beside me. It activated itself- and cut the rope! I tumbled down onto the ground.  
  
"What?! How'd you get out you runt?" the strike ninja asked.  
  
I grabbed my sword. "Dark magic, ATTACK!" I yelled. The strike ninjas tensed and dived at me again. "Dark Magic, ATTACK!" The ninjas disappeared. I freed my friends. Crygif turned around.  
  
"What's going on?" he inquired huskily. Seeing us free, he aimed a blast at us.  
  
Remembering what happened before, I raised my sword. "SILENCE SWORD, STRIKE!" Our blasts met. The struggled for area, pushing the boundary back and forth. A blast came from the sidelines. The fire caught Crygif by surprise, and my blast gave a bit more area. Joey kept his fire stream up. Sensing this was a good idea, all of my other friends joined in with a large beam of energy. Thrown back by the large energy beam, Crygif was blasted a few yards. He opened his wings.  
  
[I'll deal with you later!] Crygif flew off, until he became a dot in the sky. I sighed.  
  
"I guess this means we continue with our journey," I mused.  
  
"Which one? To find Harp or to defend the army?" Leafe asked.  
  
Joey grabbed the branch on Leafe's back and gave a tug. "TO GET HARP! If we don't get Harp, she WILL be in their army!"  
  
Leafe jerked away from Joey and massaged his back. "Ok, don't break my back!"  
  
"So, anyone have an idea of where to go to find Harp?" Myst asked. We all stared and looked at each other. Looking back, we should've let them carry us into the hideout, THEN break free. Myst sighed. "Then I guess we just wander around, right?"  
  
A British-accented voice broke the silence. "Not really." Bakura pushed aside some bushes and crawled out. "I found their hideout. They tried to catch me, but being Change of Heart has some unique advantages." I had a mental image of Bakura going into guard after guard, everyone wondering where he was.  
  
"Good! So, Bakura, lead us to it!" Joey commanded.  
  
I, however, still felt thirsty. "But wait, do you have any water?"  
  
"Yeah, of course." Bakura reached into the pouch tied to his waist and pulled out three canteens. Our mouths watered. (If that's possible)  
  
"But there's one problem. There's only three!" Bakura announced. We groaned, wondering who was going to be the lucky one who got a well- deserved drink.  
  
Myst stepped up. "No problem." Myst began to chant, and the canteens began to shift in and out. Bakura stepped back with an amazed expression. The canteens multiplied, being 6, 12, and then 24.  
  
"STOP! I think we have more than we can handle!" yelled Tea. Mai nodded in agreement. Myst stopped chanting, and all the canteens fell. Everyone (except Bakura and Myst) rushed to get one. Even Myst, trying to be polite, found it hard to resist, and dove into the crowd to get a drink after the whole afternoon of being in the sun.  
  
We ended up on our backs, gulping as much water as we could handle, and having stomachs that sloshed as we walked. Joey started a burping era, and Leafe, always wanting to be best, broke his 'watch-your-manners' policy and started to burp after him. It was truly a sight. Knowing that it would be hot later, I advised my friends to grab an extra. They greedily agreed, and the 'hurry-up-to-get-your-canteen' era started all over again. Dust flew in the air. That night, we were dusty and tired, but happy and satisfied, for the first time that day.  
  
**********************  
  
R Amythest: SO, how was it?  
  
Ryou: I thought you said you wanted me in the dungeon.  
  
R Amythest: I made a mistake. SORRY SWEETY!!!! *glomps Ryou*  
  
Yami Amythest: that's quite enough. . . O_O;  
  
Yami Yugi: I agree.  
  
Yami Amythest: You agree, Yami dear? HOW NICE! *glomps Yami Yugi*  
  
Yami Yugi: AAAAGH!!!  
  
R Amythest: Ryou! ^_^ *glomp* *hug* *glomp*  
  
Yami Amythest: YAMI!!! *glomp* *hug* *glomp*  
  
Ryou and Yami Yugi: HELP!!!! THE AUTHORESSES ARE PUTTING US THROUGH IMPERSONATED HELL!!!!!  
  
*BAM!* Yami Yugi, get OFF MY COMP! And Ryou's really not the type to say hell.  
  
Yami Yugi: *rubs spot where R Amythest hit him* well, that's why it's impersonated!  
  
R Amythest: True, but all the same, GET OFF MY COMP!  
  
Yami Amythest: Don't yell at Yami! *hugs Yami protectively*  
  
Yami Yugi: I don't what's worse, a violent author or being a girl's favorite bishie.  
  
Ryou: *walks over to Yami Yugi* believe me, it's a lose-lose situation.  
  
R Amythest: RYOU!!!!! *glomp*  
  
Ryou: AGH! Never mind, I'd take the violent author!  
  
Yami Amythest: *Bashes Ryou on the head with the millennium sceptre* You really prefer that over a hug?*  
  
Ryou: *sweatdrop* Yes, thank you hair gel!  
  
Yami Amythest: how'd you SURVIVE THAT? You're supposed to have a hole in your head!  
  
Ryou: *pokes hair* hair gel. It cushions. (quote by YuNique337)  
  
R Amythest: *hugs harder*  
  
Ryou: But not from a rabid fangirly authoress!!! AHH!!!!  
  
Yami Amythest: Anyway, just review!!!! YAMI!!!!  
  
*curtains close, and authoresses are still in tight embrace with their bishies* 


	10. Separated

Yami Amythest: Oh! I know what'll get my Hikari back! HEY RYOU! *waves over Ryou* If ya come here, I'll ward off R Amythest!  
  
Ryou: huh? Really? *goes over*  
  
Yami Amythest: *slaps Ryou on the cheek*  
  
R Amythest: *appears out of nowhere* HEY! NO ONE SLAPS RYOU! *About to smash Yami Amythest to bits, but gets a different idea* HEY! YAMI! GET OVER HERE AND YOU GET FREE ACCESS TO THE SUGAR CABINET!  
  
Yami Yugi: COMING! *runs over*  
  
R Amythest: *slaps yami Yugi really hard so it makes a four-fingers mark on his cheek*  
  
Yami Yugi: HEY!  
  
Yami Amythest: NO ONE SLAPS HIM!!!! *slaps Ryou HARD this time*  
  
R Amythest: Oh no you don't! *slaps Yami Yugi even harder*  
  
*slap*  
  
*slap*  
  
*slap*  
  
Ryou: *in between slaps* you know, sometimes I wonder why I ever signed up to be in that show. . .  
  
Yami Yugi: *in between slaps* yeah. They said we get paid a lot. They never said it was in cash. Now I know, it's paid in unwanted love!  
  
Yami Amythest: oh no you don't! *slap*  
  
R Amythest: oh YEAH?! *slap*  
  
*slap*  
  
*slap*  
  
*slap*  
  
R Amythest: What? Get on with the story? Ok! *slap*  
  
***************Chapter Ten: Separated****************  
  
The bright sun shone through the branches above me, urging me to wake up. I smiled and opened my eyes. Looking around, I saw my friends sleeping peacefully. All is calm again.  
  
I leaned against a tree and closed my eyes, basking in the sun, this time in enjoyment. I heard soft footsteps. I opened my eyes again, expecting someone to be up, but they were all asleep. My eyebrow creased with worry. I looked out onto the path, and a pack of summon skulls were marching towards us. Worried, I went over to my friends and shook them awake.  
  
"What the-" Leafe started.  
  
I clamped a hand over his mouth. "Shh! Crygif's goons are out there!"  
  
"Who?" Leafe asked.  
  
"Crygif- the cryptic griffon. Help me wake up everyone else and then we need to hide!" Leafe nodded. He went over to Shimmer and nudged her awake. I did the same to Myst. I could hear the Summon Skulls get closer. It was fortunate that we were at the edge of the road, so they couldn't see us unless they got close. Soon everyone was awake.  
  
"Quick, hide deeper in the forest!" I commanded. We hid in the underbrush. Leafe didn't even need to try. They weren't kidding when they called him the king of the forests.  
  
All Summon Skulls looked at each other. "Crygif DID say they were somewhere here, right?" the first one asked.  
  
"Yeah!" the second agreed.  
  
"They should be somewhere here!" announced a third skull.  
  
"SO KEEP SEARCHING!" barked the first skull. They brushed aside branches and bushes. They were getting awfully close to our hiding places. I tried to soften my loud breathing. Suddenly, one of the summon skulls popped his skull into our hiding place. He looked around and saw me. I gave out a little gasping sound. The summon skull grinned devilishly. He was about to shout when I saw a white figure lunge for it.  
  
Bakura!? What are you doing?!  
  
{Quickly! Go deep into the woods! I'm going to fool them for a while!}  
  
\Are you sure you'll be alright?\  
  
{Just hurry! I can't hold him back much longer!}  
  
I nodded. I signaled to all my friends to follow me. I dashed through to woods. Behind me, I could hear Bakura as the skull assuring the others that there was nothing of interest. Then I heard a yelp. I stopped. I turned around. I could see the skulls straining to pull out Bakura.  
  
Bakura!  
  
=I know, Yugi, but remember; none of us is stronger than summon skull. We have to let him go!=  
  
Leafe pulled me on, and we noisily ran through the underbrush, me painfully hearing screams of agony behind us. I was tempted to break out of his grasp and go back, but he right, there wasn't much we could do. I sorrowfully left him behind, arguing with myself all the way. When we finally reached the 'middle of nowhere,' Leafe dropped my arm and panted. Everyone else collapsed and drew in their breath, too.  
  
/#Bakura. . .#/  
  
Myst put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry. . ." she whispered.  
  
I let her hand rest there. "It's not your fault," I choked in between sobs.  
  
Shimmer got up. "But for now, we've gotta find a way outta here!"  
  
I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand. "True, we're still in the middle of nowhere."  
  
Shimmer turned a bright red. "So that's what you get for being hospitable. . ."  
  
"Shimmer. . ." started Leafe.  
  
"They mess up your house, use up your budget. . ."  
  
"Shimmer!" Tea scolded.  
  
"get you tied to a beam. . ."  
  
"Shimmer. . ." warned Joey, slightly annoyed.  
  
"and get you lost in the mid-"  
  
"SHIMMER! SHUT THE HECK UP!" yelled Mai. We all stared at her. Mai blushed. "What? I just can't stand high-pitched ranting like Tea's!"  
  
"What?!" Tea shouted. They looked ready to fight. I grabbed Tea and Joey grabbed Mai.  
  
"Hey, chill! We're still in the middle of nowhere!" I reminded her.  
  
"Mai! If you back down I promise I'll let you hug me!" Joey promised.  
  
Mai stopped trying to kill Tea. "Really? JOEY!!!!" Mai glomped Joey in a death grip.  
  
Well, that takes care of one problem.  
  
\And it started another.\  
  
I sighed as Mai squeezed Joey way too tightly. Joey was desperately trying to get her off. This all over again. . . My mind started wandering again. . . Harp, and now Bakura. . . and there was still the upcoming battles. Myst sensed my tension.  
  
\We'll find a solution soon. . .\ But Myst didn't sound so sure either.  
  
"GET OFF!" roared Joey. It snapped me out of my daydream. Mai was now yearning to kiss him.  
  
I sighed. "Mai, we're going to have to cooperate if you want to get out of here," I informed her.  
  
Mai stopped glomping Joey. "I guess you're right, kiddo. Sorry sweetie!" Mai gave Joey one final hug then got off.  
  
Joey massaged his legs. "FINALLY!"  
  
"Ok, so which way do we go?" asked Tea. We looked at each other.  
  
"Wait a sec." Leafe ran off.  
  
"What's he up to?" I wondered.  
  
"I told you, he's king of the forests. He probably recognizes this place inside out!" Myst told me.  
  
Joey's stomach growled. "I don't know about you, but I'm up for some fooood!"  
  
"Joey! Could you take your mind off food just this one day?!" Tea scolded.  
  
"I can't help it! I'm hungry!" Joey defended.  
  
Mai opened her wings. "He's right. We haven't ate a bite since yesterday morning, and Yugi hasn't ate anything since the night before last." Mai took flight. "I'm going to pick some berries or something, and in the meanwhile find our way out."  
  
Joey ran after her. "Hey! Mai! Can ya carry me with ya?!"  
  
Mai descended. "I guess. Myst, can you cast a growth spell?"  
  
"Certainly," replied Myst. She chanted her eerie tune, and Mai grew large enough to carry Joey, which she did, and they took off. We watched them become a dot in the sky.  
  
Now it's just us four.  
  
I heard grumbling in the nearby forest. I froze.  
  
"Com'on, we know you're there. . ." a summon skull grumbled. He stuck his ugly, bony head into our small area. I ran away in a full-legged sprint, and I could hear my friends following me.  
  
There was a shriek. "Get your skeletal hands OFF ME!" Shimmer squealed.  
  
\#SHIMMER!#\  
  
Tea looked back, but I urged her one, like how Leafe did to me. "Tea, I know you want to help her; we all do, but there's nothing we can do!" Tea nodded sadly. We crouched behind some high bushes, and we saw the summon skulls carry the yelping Shimmer away. My heart was throbbing. My face was splattered with tears, and I saw Tea's was too. Our friends were broken up now. There was no way Leafe, Mai, and Joey could find us now, and Harp, Bakura, and Shimmer were captured. My face felt warm from the trail of tears. They flowed freely from my eyes, flowing down from my cheeks and dripping off my chin into the underbrush. Shimmer left us, too. That left our group down to three, Tea, Myst, and me.  
  
#Shimmer. . .#  
  
I know how you feel. . .  
  
\We all have sorrow in our hearts. . .\  
  
It was then I noticed my sword was glowing. I touched its stone-embroidered hilt, and I had a vision again.  
  
**VISION**  
  
The summon skulls entered through the door leading to the long pathway to the dungeon cells. Shimmer squirmed and protested, but the cold-hearted skulls chained her little arms to the wall of a cell. It was across and one floor above Bakura's cell, which was beside Harp's.  
  
"LEMME OUTTA HERE!!!" screeched Shimmer. She knew she couldn't get out, but all the same, she flew in all directions from her chain-bound arms, but to no avail. The edges of the cuffs were sharp, and blood started to flow from her wrists in small rivers, staining her small form.  
  
"Hey, calm down there. No use fighting, you'd just get yourself hurt," Harp informed Shimmer. "Bakura and I both have marks to prove it." Harp raised her fists, and you could see the blood stains on the cuffs. Below, you could see the signs of scars and scrapes. Taking this as a cue to do so, Bakura also showed his wrist, also cut up and bruised.  
  
{But this isn't as bad as how my yami makes it sometimes.}  
  
What? I could sense thoughts and mindlinks? This was strange. There are still a lot of things to learn about the visions.  
  
~I know, Ryou. It hurts me to know that you're tortured in both worlds.~  
  
{Don't feel sorry for me, I'm almost used to it, and I have my friends all the way. This war, I think we need to think about it for now. . .}  
  
^That's right! We need to get out of here!^  
  
[No mental chatter! Or face the consequences!!!]  
  
Crygif burst through the door and the prisoners instantly shut up. Shimmer sank down and sat on the dungeon floor. Harp leaned on the wall and let out a small groan. Bakura just sighed.  
  
A witty phantom entered. "Crygif, I need to talk to you, about their 'friends.'"  
  
**VISION END**  
  
I opened my eyes, sticky from tears. Myst and Tea were looking at me, as if they were expecting something.  
  
"Crygif is talking with his henchmen. If we burst in on the dungeon now, we might be able to rescue our friends," I told them.  
  
"But we don't even know where we are, not to mention where the dungeon may be," Myst pointed out.  
  
"That's true, yet it isn't," I mused quietly.  
  
"What's that mean, Yugi? It doesn't make any sense!" Tea asked.  
  
"In one of my visions, it was of Bakura entering the dungeon. My guess was that he was caught, but anyway, I know the scene was between a city and a forest. He ran through the forest to find the dungeon gate. What if the village was Magic Village?" I asked them.  
  
"But Yugi, he must've escaped, he joined us a few hours ago, then he was captured, remember?" Tea reminded me.  
  
I bit my lip. "That's true. . . Let's see if the sword knows anything." I touched my sword of silence again. Bakura, past, one day.  
  
**VISION OF THE PAST**  
  
Bakura was still in the feral imp. He went into the dungeon, making sure that no sound was made with his step. He carefully strode down the aisle, checking every dungeon cell. He reached Harp's and paused. Harp sprung to life and started a kicking frenzy.  
  
"Leave me alone you beast! I have enough to cope with!" cried Harp.  
  
Bakura cautiously made sure no one was watching. "Shh, Harp, it's me, Ryou."  
  
Harp stopped flailing around. "Ryou?! What are you doing here?"  
  
Bakura got a ring of keys from the imp's belt and started experimenting with them. "To get you." Bakura finally got the one that could open the cell. The door swung open with a creak, and Bakura stepped in. He rummaged for the one that could open the handcuffs.  
  
Harp gasped. "Ryou! Behind you!" Bakura whirled around in time to the prison door swing shut. Behind it, a cruel voice chuckled.  
  
"Thought you could deceive me, change of heart? I can see right through you!" Crygif released a beam from his mouth, a golden one. The beam surrounded Bakura, and drew him out of the feral imp. The imp, laid on the ground, was motionless. Bakura struggled with the beam, but Crygif made him pass through the bars and held Bakura in his grip. "No magic card has the capability to fool me, fool! You shall all, pay, pay for what you have done!"  
  
{I may not be able to deceive him, but I think I can still work on him!}  
  
[What?!]  
  
Bakura started to glow, and he went inside Crygif. Crygif gave a screech, and his consciousness shifted in and out. Bakura managed to get out, but out of his grasp and onto the floor. There, he ran out of the dungeon door. I followed. Behind me, I could hear the cries of Crygif.  
  
"I shall get you, he-who-dares-to-challenge-me! I shall get you all! And I shall not be forgotten, nor the pains and sorrows all of you made me go through! I guarantee it!" Crygif shouted behind us.  
  
**END VISION**  
  
I opened my eyes, and Myst and Tea were staring at me with eager eyes.  
  
"He almost saved Harp, but didn't. I have no idea about the city, though. All I know was that he barely managed to escape, and Crygif wants to get him back. He also said something about getting everyone back on the pain they caused him." I shook my head. "I don't know anything about what he says sometimes."  
  
Myst stayed silent. Then she spoke. "I think he was the mutiny on the scientific project three years ago."  
  
Tea and I were immediately interested. "Can you tell us about it?" Tea asked, voice quivering.  
  
"Yes, I'll send it through mindlink," she responded.  
  
**VISION FLASHBACK**  
  
Myst was looking at the TV in her residence. The TV speaker was concentrating on a psychic kappa, who was dressed in a white lab coat and had glasses on.  
  
"I saw it all! You know our project, #10459837, otherwise known as the sonic bird mutilation, was a complete disaster! In our growth and power-up test, he became so overwhelmingly strong that he went out of control!" the psychic kappa yelled. Myst's eyes widened. \Is he exaggerating, or did this really happen?\ "He broke our lab to smithereens, and all of the lab professors except for me died!" The psychic waved his arms up and down. "Then he flew away, a hurricane in its wake! It was tremendous!"  
  
The screen refocused on the broken-down lab. "We do not know yet if Professor Kap's claims are true, but it is clear that the lab was probably broken down by an explosion and a wind storm. . ." the announcer droned on. Myst turned off the TV and glanced at the newspaper. Big bold words spelling out 'LAB EXPLODES AFTER EXPERIMENTING WITH SONIC BIRD' were on the headlines.  
  
**VISION FLASHBACK END**  
  
Tea and I were both awestruck. "You mean, Crygif was originally a sonic bird?" I asked.  
  
Tea bit her lip. "So he wanted to get the scientists, since the mutilation's gotta hurt or something. But why us?"  
  
I shook my head. "I don't know, but we have to be careful." Raindrops splattered above us. "And now it's raining! How could our day get worse?"  
  
"Uh. . . I don't think you should ask. It brings bad luck," Tea told me. The rain pelted me. It was cold and wet, and it was easy to say Myst, Tea, and I were miserable. I was really getting worried about Joey. He was fire- type, and he could easily get weak in a storm like this. Lighting flashed above. Thunder rolled across the sky. The rain trickled down the leaves, which blocked out some rain, but let the rest torment us.  
  
"O-o-o I'm singin' in the rain! I'm singing in the rain!" a familiar voice sang. I stared at the sight. Leafe was standing in the clearing, enjoying the heavy rain. "What a won-der-ful feelin'. . ." Leafe sighed. "I'd be happier if I could find Shimmer and the others."  
  
"Hey! Leafe! Over here!" I called. Leafe jerked his head over to where we were. "I never thought I'd actually SEE the day you cared for Shimmer!" I chuckled.  
  
Leafe blushed. "Frankly speaking, where is she?"  
  
My face turned solemn and I glanced at Myst and Tea. Myst slowly nodded, while Tea sighed. "The summon skulls took her," I informed him. I saw Leafe tense.  
  
"Do you know where they took her?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah, to a dungeon, it's somewhere in a forest."  
  
"Which?"  
  
"I don't know. It's between a village and some mountains," I told him.  
  
"Like here?" Leafe asked.  
  
I shook my head. "No, it wasn't, or you would've found it. Besides, I know that Bakura found it two days ago, and it doesn't take two days to get out of here."  
  
Leafe crossed his arms. "That's true. In ordinary weather, it only takes hours to get out of here."  
  
"Which brings me to the subject, IT'S COLD AND WET AND I'M GOING TO CATCH HYPOTHERMIA!!" Tea reminded.  
  
Leafe sighed. "True enough, but I actually like this weather," he caught our eye, "but knowing you don't, I think I'll help you guys build a shelter or something. I know where all the best branches are."  
  
Shivering, we followed him. Sure enough, within minutes, he had a small shelter, just about as big as those play-forts that we made as kids, but it was waterproof.  
  
Leafe took a bottle out of his pocket. I strained to see its label, and it read 'fire.' I was amazed. You could fit fire in a bottle without it burning out or putting the bottle up in flames? Leafe unscrewed the cap and poured a small amount of liquid on the pile of sticks surrounded by wet stones in the center of our fort. A small fire started as soon as the liquid made contact with the sticks.  
  
What's that?  
  
=Liquid fire. It makes a fire as soon as it touches something that isn't protected by a fire-prevention spell.=  
  
#So the bottle has fire-prevention spell?#  
  
=Yep.=  
  
The small fire grew, and it warmed the small fort. Tea made a clothesline out of a string she tore off her sweater, and she dried her cape and sweater. Myst dried off her cape, too. Leafe and I just waited for the fire to slowly dry our garments. Tea and Myst weren't willing to take off neither their dress nor tights, and that made sense. We just let the warmth of the fire seep into us, comforting our tired bodies. I gazed into the fire, as if in a trance. I saw images flicker, of Harp winking, Bakura smiling, Joey waving, Mai tossing her hair back, and Shimmer squeaking in delight. But now they weren't here anymore, they were apart from us. But you'll never be too far away form my heart. A single tear rolled down my face, and I wiped it away. But I'll find you, you just wait!  
  
***********  
  
R Amythest: dun, dun, dun!!!! I love it when Yugi's determined and the chappie comes to a close!!! Now, the cards you might not know section!  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CARDS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Name: Psychic Kappa  
  
Stats: Real, Magic Ruler, common (I have two for heaven's sake)  
  
Points: 400/1000  
  
Type: water  
  
Creature: aqua  
  
Level stars: two  
  
Description: an amphibian with a myriad of powers to shield it from enemy attacks  
  
What it looks like: a bald lizard standing up O_o  
  
==============  
  
Name: Sonic Bird  
  
Stats: Real, Magic ruler, I don't know the rarity  
  
Points: 1400/1000  
  
Type: wind  
  
Creature: winged beast  
  
Level Stars: four  
  
Effect: you can search your deck for a ritual card and put it in your hand  
  
What it looks like: A bald eagle with goggles and a jet pack -_-;  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
R Amythest: ah. . . Yugi's just so determined at the end of my story. . . I LOVE IT!  
  
Yami Yugi: *warning voice* no one makes fun of MY Hikari. . .  
  
R Amythest: I wasn't making fun of him!  
  
Yami Yugi: *shrugs* I just wanted to say that.  
  
Yami Amythest: oh YAMI!!! *glomps Yami Yugi* can you say something romantic?  
  
Yami Yugi: *squirming to get out of Yami Amythest's reach* get offa me for heaven's sake! And the answer is NO!  
  
R Amythest: have any of you guys seen Ryou?  
  
Yami Yugi: not since the scene where he goes into the summon skull, and the visions my aibou had.  
  
R Amythest: *sigh* I can't go 1 hour without seeing him!!!! *sobs* I even sketch small pictures of him on my binder to keep myself from going berserk!  
  
Yami Amythest and Yami Yugi: O_o  
  
Ryou: Is she gone yet? *peeks in*  
  
R Amythest: RYOU!!!!!! *glomps and doesn't let go*  
  
Ryou: AGH! Yami Amythest, you said you would protect me from her!  
  
Yami Amythest: *suppresses giggles* since when?  
  
Ryou: when you slapped me!  
  
Yami Amythest: I SAID I'd ward her off, and well. . . sigh. A spirit's word is a word. . . *peels R Amythest off Ryou*  
  
Yami Yugi: yeah, and you said I could raid the sugar cabinet!  
  
R Amythest: *sigh* ok, then. *throws Yami Yugi a key* it's the third cabinet to the right!  
  
Yami Yugi: WHOOPEE!!! Thanks, R-  
  
R Amythest: *slap* NO USING MY FIRST NAME UNTIL 'FROM A HIEROGLYPHIC' YOU BOZO!  
  
Yami Amythest: No one, NO ONE slaps Yami! *slaps Ryou*  
  
*slap*  
  
*slap*  
  
*slap*  
  
R Amythest: you can review now. . . *slap* 


	11. The Next Step Along the Way

R Amythest: *slaps Yami Yugi*  
  
Yami Amythest: *slaps Ryou*  
  
*slap*  
  
*slap*  
  
*both bishies have red cheeks and are wincing in pain*  
  
*Yugi and Yami Bakura walk in*  
  
Yugi: Yami! I was wondering, have you seen the authoress? 'Cause I need to get more hair gel.  
  
Yami Bakura: You fool! There's more in the kitchen cabinet! That's where she always puts it! And I need ring polisher! My millennium ring is starting to RUST! RUST, THE WORST EVIL IMAGINABLE TO A SPIRIT!!! WAHAHAHA!!!!  
  
Yugi: *sees R Amythest slapping Yami Yugi* Yami! *sobs* What are you doing to my yami?!  
  
R Amythest: *softens up to her 3rd favorite bishie* oh sorry, I'll stop if you get Yami Amythest to quit slapping Ryou, okee? *glomp, although Yugi is 2 feet shorter than her*  
  
Yugi: AHHH!!!!! *makes Yami Yugi go back into the puzzle and gets out of there*  
  
R Amythest: YUGI!  
  
Ryou: *starts yelping each time Yami Amythest slaps him, which is twice every second*  
  
R Amythest: RYOU! *Shoves Yami Amythest off Ryou*  
  
Ryou: *sighs in relief* I never thought I'd live to see the day R Amythest does something that benefits me. . .  
  
R Amythest: Ryyoooouuuu!!!!! *glomps Ryou*  
  
Ryou: Ahh!!!  
  
Yami Amythest: HEY! I was having a good time!  
  
R Amythest: bug off! Into the sceptre, now!  
  
Yami Amythest: picky, picky. You don't even let me have room service in there! Yami Yugi said he had SERVANTS in hi-  
  
R Amythest: INTO THE SCEPTRE, NOW!  
  
Yami Amythest: *sulks back into the sceptre* geez.  
  
R Amythest: *glomps Ryou* okay, a quick note that I have no chapters left and I'm standing in front of a writer's block the size of the great wall of China. However, I do have a new fic up, it's called 'It Came With the Rising Sun.' It's about Yami Bakura's past, but it's not the usual. Instead, it starts with Yami B 7 years old and Yami Y 15, just turned pharaoh, when he hears a yelp from an alley. . . read it yourself. Now, on with THIS fic!  
  
*****************Chapter Eleven: The Next Stop Along the Way***************  
  
It was dark, cold, and damp. Where am I? I slowly opened my eyes. The smell of smoke was still in the air. I slowly got up, trying not to wake anyone up. We were still in the fort, but the fire burnt out, and the chilly morning air was frosty. I heard muttering, which was Leafe hugging his robes and talking in his dream. I heard the phrase 'Shimmy' quite a few times. I laughed to myself. Tea and Myst were huddled in a corner, sound asleep and unmoving. I stretched and snuck out of the small structure.  
  
The rain the day before had soaked into the ground, making it muddy and soggy. The trees had sparkling dewdrops, shimmering like halos. Shimmering. Shimmer. Halos. It made me remember the day before; Shimmer was lost to the Summon Skulls. The trees were at an exact angle, making the sun's rays hit half, and cast a shadow over the other. The trees had long branches, and at an angle, the sun's rays cast an eerie effect, like it had two wings. It looked like the change of heart. Bakura. The skulls captured him after an attempt to distract them. It worked, but the summon skulls took him prisoner.  
  
I heard soft footsteps behind me. I tensed, then spun around, ready to attack. Myst stood there, surprised at my sudden movement. I relaxed and brought my hand back to my side. "Myst, don't scare me like that! I thought you were those summon skulls!"  
  
Myst smiled. "It's a good reflex. I know you're ready when you're sneaked on, now." I could tell by the look on her face that she was joking.  
  
I sighed in frustration and collapsed onto the leafy underbrush below. I stared hard at the ground, as if wishing for something to happen. Myst noticed the tenseness. "What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
"Harp. . . Bakura. . . Shimmer. . ." I choked out. "Joey. . . Mai. . . they're. . ."  
  
Myst sighed. "Gone. . ." we both finished. Myst sat down beside me.  
  
"But you know they're okay, you saw them in your visions, didn't you?" Myst reminded me.  
  
"But I didn't get anything about Joey or-" I didn't have time to finish my sentence as my sword glowed, and I blacked out.  
  
**VISION**  
  
Mai was furiously rubbing two sticks together. Joey was beside her motionless. "C'mon Joseph, c'mon, hurry up and get better. . ." The sticks snapped in her hands. "Is that too much to ask for?" Mai whispered. Mai kneeled over Joey and felt his chest. "Good, heart still beating. Mai placed a hand right over Joey's mouth. "Still breathing, too." Mai sighed and rubbed two more sticks together. "Now all I need is that fire!"  
  
I remembered I was there, just a vision, too. I went over to Joey and examined him. He was obviously unconscious, and he felt cold. The rain must've done this to him. . . Mai, in the meanwhile, just created a few sparks. By blowing on them carefully, she managed to create a small fire. I got out of the way (although I was a vision) as she picked Joey up and set him near the fire. But Mai had no first-hand experience for fires, and it soon raged out of control. Mai, I noticed, was still slightly larger than her normal size. Gently picking Joey up, she ran away from the raging forest fire.  
  
**END VISION**  
  
"FIRE! FIRRREEE!!!!" someone yelled. I bolted awake and I saw Leafe running away from something. As soon as Myst saw I was awake, she helped me up and pulled me towards the direction Leafe was going. Tea was trying not to trip on her skirt.  
  
"What's going on?" I asked, in a sleepy voice.  
  
"There's a forest fire! We have to go!" Myst answered quickly. Tea broke out into a run, and so did Myst. I ran to catch up with them.  
  
"I know what happened! Joey was knocked out and cold, so Mai started a fire to warm him up, and accidentally started this forest fire!" I informed Myst. She nodded.  
  
"So that means we might be able to find them!" she analyzed.  
  
I smiled. "Yeah."  
  
We ran for a few seconds, adrenaline pumping, when I heard a familiar voice call for help.  
  
"That's Mai!" I realized. I went back.  
  
"Yugi! What are you doing?" asked Tea, shocked.  
  
"Mai and Joey are still in there!" I shouted back. "I'm going to get them!" I saw Tea try to follow me, but a burning log blocked her path. I heard Leafe mutter something about a 'last resort.'  
  
I reached a small oasis. Mai was still carrying Joey, and salamandras surrounded her.  
  
"Missy, we do all the burning around here, and you have violated the laws of Ra!" a salamandra hissed.  
  
"DARK MAGIC, ATTACK!" I yelled. The salamandra turned around just in time to see my attack destroy him. I yelled more attacks, freeing Mai from the salamandras.  
  
"Follow me, Mai!" I panted. We ran through the forest, Mai following me. It was really hot, hotter than the red eye's fire. I glanced at Mai, with Joey gripped to her chest. I bet Joey would've loved to see this.  
  
"So, how'd you find me?" asked Mai through all the sounds of burning.  
  
"I heard you yell, and I knew you made the fire because I had a vision," I replied. A burning log fell in front of us, and it became a wall of fire. "Shoot," I mumbled.  
  
"WATER! FLOOD!" I heard someone yell. A blast of water shot through the wall of fire, and I just barely dodged it. Mai gave a yelp and flew above the blast of water. The liquid washed through the wall of flames, and the flames vanished. More water came, and it smothered all the fire.  
  
I looked at the person who released the water. Leafe capped another one of his spell bottles. "We're told only to use that in emergencies," he told me, as if to answer a question. He tucked the bottle back into his robe. "Now, I hope we know where we are. . ."  
  
I stared at him, and everyone else did, too. "You don't?" accused Mai.  
  
Leafe seemed startled by this remark. "No I don't. . ."  
  
Mai seemed to fill with rage. "CAN'T YOU SEE MY BOYFRIEND'S DYING?! YOU'RE KING OF THE FORESTS, ACT LIKE ONE! YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS PLACE TOP TO BOTTOM!"  
  
We all stared at Mai. Tea rushed over and felt Joey. "He's really cold. . ." whispered Tea.  
  
Leafe grumbled something about fire control. "Get me some rocks and I'll make a fire that we can handle."  
  
I nodded. "I'll go!" I volunteered. Leafe nodded in acceptance, and I ran off into the woods. Walking a little ways, I found a small spring. There was a creek flowing from it, pure water dribbling down its little path. I seized my canteen that hung from my waist and replenished it with the spring water. After it filled, I tasted a bit. It was fresh and delicious. I saw the rocks down there were smooth, like dozens of eggs. I reached in the spring and took some out. Gathered as many as I could, then I ran off to find my friends, which turned out to be easier said than done.  
  
The forest, now burnt, offered no landmarks, and I soon got lost. I stumbled around for nearly half an hour until I came up with an idea. "Sword. . ." I slipped my sword of silence out of its scabbard. "Lead me to my friends!" The sword slipped out of me hands and started going by itself. I followed. A matter of minutes later, I found my worried friends.  
  
"Yugi! Where were you?" Myst asked.  
  
"I got lost, but my sword led me back." I dumped the rocks into a pile. "I also found a spring!"  
  
"Good news, kid, but right now, we need to worry about Joey!" Mai reminded us.  
  
Leafe nodded and set the stones into a circle. Then he got out the liquid fire and poured a small amount inside the circle of stones. The leaves inside the circle burst into flames. Mai set Joey down by the fire.  
  
"Hey Myst, can I be 5 and a half feet tall again?" Mai requested.  
  
"Ok," Myst answered. She began to chant, and Mai shrank down to her normal size again.  
  
I saw Joey move and groan. "Hey guys, I think he woke up!" I informed them. Mai rushed over to Joey's side. His eyes fluttered open.  
  
"What's going on? Where am I?" he asked. Joey propped himself up and groggily stood up. Mai hugged him.  
  
"You got knock unconscious after falling into a lake, remember?" Mai reminded him.  
  
So that's what happened.  
  
"AHH!!! THERE ARE VOICES IN MY HEAD!!!" Joey screamed. He caught a glace of Leafe and he fainted.  
  
"What do you think happened to him? He knows about the mindlink," I mused.  
  
"He might've forgot everything, I think it's called amnesia. . ." Tea hypothesized.  
  
"Possible. . ." considered Myst.  
  
=Why scared of me? Why is Joey scared of me?!=  
  
Leafe was pacing back and forth.  
  
|You scare everyone, Leafe. As I said before, you're not a very good person to first meet here.|  
  
Leafe scowled. "If it weren't for me, Tea, Yugi, and Myst would all have either a very bad cold or hypothermia! And Yugi, Joey, and you would be burnt to a crisp! And you would be shattered to pieces by Harpie's brother!"  
  
Now it was Mai's turn to scowl. "What about your 'lost love,' Shimmer?"  
  
Shimmy. . .  
  
Mai burst out laughing. Leafe blushed. Amongst all the noise, Joey was waking up.  
  
"Hey Joey, you remember me?" I whispered.  
  
"AHH!!!! IT'S THE VOICE IN MY HEAD!!!! YOU PUT VOICES IN MY HEAD!!!" Joey yelled. He was going berserk!  
  
I sighed. "Who's going to tell him what happened, and who he is, and such?"  
  
Mai stepped forth. "I will," she volunteered.  
  
**HALF AN HOUR LATER**  
  
". . .and that's what you're here for!" Mai finished.  
  
#finally!#  
  
I think Mai was very interesting. Did you notice that Mai added in a few good things about herself?  
  
=Yeah! I was the one who cast the fire spell!=  
  
|Aww, shut up. You could've done it!|  
  
\Joey, try the mindlink.\  
  
/Um. . . Hi?/  
  
You did it!  
  
/Great, so what do we do now?/  
  
Find the prison!  
  
**TWILIGHT**  
  
It was dark now, and the only light was the crescent moon above, embedded in a sea of stars. The burnt trees were endless, and we were still lost.  
  
"I STILL say we just go in one direction! Then we could at least get out of here!" Tea complained.  
  
Leafe whirled around and poked her in the chest. "Listen, are you king of the forests?"  
  
"No. . ."  
  
"Do you know every beast that could pop up from a hole?"  
  
"No. . ."  
  
"Do you know which way is North?"  
  
"No. . ."  
  
"Can you lead us any better than me?"  
  
"Yes. . ."  
  
Leafe sighed. "Ok, ok, I got your point. The truth of the matter is, I recognized this place BEFORE it was burned down." Leafe glared at Mai. "Nice GOING hotshot."  
  
"Hey, I'm not getting you lost! I was just doing that so Joey wouldn't get too cold!" Mai defended.  
  
"Well, technically Mai, you burned this place so. . ." My voice trailed off. Mai grumbled in annoyance. I sighed. "Tea, you wanted to do it, so why don't you lead?"  
  
"OK!" accepted Tea. She positioned herself between Leafe and the woods. "Now, I say we keep going in one direction, because if you're in the middle of the woods, every direction provides a way out!"  
  
|True enough.|  
  
**TWENTY MINUTES LATER**  
  
We saw a small dot of light.  
  
"ALL RIGHT!" we all cheered, except for Leafe, who mumbled a sarcastic 'whoop de do.'  
  
We ran towards the light. It opened up into a clearing, and from there, we could see a cliff. Reaching the cliff and looking down, we saw the dots of lights in buildings.  
  
"We've reached Billowy City, my hometown," Myst said with a smile. "We can all stay at my house."  
  
"But what about finding the prison?" Joey asked.  
  
"I don't think it's in those woods," Leafe told him.  
  
Myst guided us down the cliff. The city drew nearer. The bright lights guided us through the large city, which had many neon lights and wide streets. The sidewalks were so clean, they almost shined.  
  
"How does this city keep the sidewalks so clean?" I asked.  
  
"Billowy City has a lot of water-type monsters, so they never have trouble finding a janitor," Myst replied.  
  
"Wow, this city is FLASHY!" Joey remarked.  
  
"This city is sometimes called the city of lights," answered Myst. She stopped at an apartment building. "Okay, follow me." She went inside. There was a panel full of buttons, all the way from 1 to 200. Myst held down the 127 button and spoke. "Hey, Cousin Ellie, it's me, Myst!"  
  
The speaker cracked for a sec, then a voice like Myst's came on. "Myst, cuz! I haven't seen you in a while! I'll be down in a sec!"  
  
A few minutes later, the elevator's doors opened, and a mystical elf came out. She went up to the door and dug her pocket for something. Upon finding a key, she unlocked the front door, which Joey found out earlier, was locked.  
  
"C'mon in, Myst!" She eyed us. "Who're they?"  
  
"This is Yugi, Joey, Mai, Tea, and Leafe," Myst introduced. Bending toward her cousin, Myst whispered, "You might want to keep an eye on Leafe, he's a bit hard to please."  
  
"I HEARD THAT!" accused Leafe.  
  
"See?"  
  
**************  
  
R Amythest: what havoc will Leafe cause? What twist in the adventure will occur NOW?  
  
Yami Amythest: just hurry up.  
  
R Amythest: anyway, yeah, the button thing is how it works for some apartments. There are two sets of doors, you go through one set, then you reach the doors and there's the button thing. You press the number that your relative/friend/person-you're-supposed-to-meet's room is. It's kinda screwy. . . I mean, what if you're running away from a rabid Yami?  
  
Yami Amythest: I heard that.  
  
Ryou: *whispering to Yami Yugi* at least they're not stalking us. . .  
  
R Amythest and Yami Amythest: RYOU!!!!/YAMI!!!!! *glomp favorite bishie*  
  
Yami Yugi: Ryou, for the good of us both. . .  
  
Ryou: what?  
  
Yami Yugi: next time, shut up.  
  
R Amythest: RYOU!!!!! Yami, don't you dare tell him to shut up!  
  
Yami Amythest: don't tell Yami (^_^) not to tell Ryou to shut up!  
  
R Amythest: don't tell me not to tell Yami to tell Ryou (^_^) to shut up!  
  
Yami Amythest: don't tell me not to tell you not to tell Yami (^_^) to tell Ryou to shut up!  
  
R Amythest: don't tell me not to tell you not to tell me not to tell Yami to tell Ryou (^_^) to shut up!  
  
*girls bicker in background*  
  
Ryou: uh. . .Yami, what are they saying?  
  
Yami Yugi: *slaps forehead* for the first time in 5000 years, I don't know.  
  
R Amythest: don't tell me not to tell you not to tell me not to tell you not to tell me not to tell you not to tell me not to tell Yami to tell Ryou (^_^) to shut up!  
  
Ryou and Yami Yugi: O_O;;;;;;;;;;; *so many sweatdrops that they made a swimming pool in R Amythest's typing room 1 foot deep*  
  
Yami Amythest: *wading through water to get to R Amythest so she could accuse her of making the typing room damp* don't tell me not to tell you not to tell me not to tell you not to tell me not to tell you not to tell me not to tell you not to tell Yami (^_^) to tell Ryou to shut up!  
  
Ryou and Yami Yugi: O_O;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; *the water is now 5 feet deep and will soon zap the computer*  
  
*bishies faint and are drowning*  
  
R Amythest: don't tell me not to tell you not to- *notices that Ryou is drowning* AH! *dives underwater to retrieve Ryou*  
  
*Yami Amythest dives to retrieve Yami Yugi*  
  
Malik: Ok, so I'm not a primary character in this story. *thinks a bit* wait, I'm not in this story at all! So, as I was saying, I'm going to put an end to this! As *static* *buzz* *static*  
  
Mini Voice: this phrase has been deleted out by the filter  
  
Malik: would say (yay! I typed it without her slapping me! *SLAP* ow.) review and review! 


	12. Ambush

R Amythest: *chasing Ryou*  
  
Ryou: *trying to get away from drooling fangirls, including R Amythest*  
  
Yami Amythest: *being nice*  
  
Yami Yugi: *rubbing his sore cheeks where R Amythest slapped him*  
  
R Amythest: *chasing Ryou*  
  
Ryou: *trying to get away from drooling fangirls, including R Amythest*  
  
Yami Amythest: *being nice*  
  
Yami Yugi: *rubbing hi  
  
YAMI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *BASH!* *BOOM!* GET OFFA MY COMPUTER!!!  
  
Yami Amythest: *rubs spot where R Amythest bashed her* ow!  
  
R Amythest: into the sceptre, NOW!  
  
Yami Amythest: it's no fair! Yami says he gets SERVANTS in his mill-  
  
R Amythest: INTO THE SCEPTRE!  
  
Yami Amythest: *scowls* ok, ok, pushy, pushy! *goes into millennium sceptre*  
  
Malik: and to wrap it up-  
  
R Amythest: *BASH!* *BOOM!* MALIK! This is far from the end, in fact, it's just the beginning! Oh, and I heard a lot of people do disclaimers. Who'll do it for me?  
  
Mokuba: *runs in* I WILL! R AMYTHEST DOES NOT OWN A CAR, A HOUSE, WASHINGTON DC, SOUTH CAROLINA, THE USA, THE WORLD, OR THE TIME-SPACE CONTINUUM!!!! DO YOU THINK SHE OWNS YUGIOH?!  
  
R Amythest: That's right! All I own are a few YuGiOh cards, and my characters Harp, Leafe, Shimmer, Ellie, and Myst! As well as this basic idea. . . well, Evil-Kitty helped a bit when I had a serious writer's block, so thanks!  
  
Kaiba: Mokuba! That's enough sugar for you! Come on, you have to be in this chapter! Pose in that dungeon over there!  
  
Ryou: good, some company. . .  
  
Harp: Yeah, hanging on the wall isn't fun. . .  
  
Shimmer: You think being on the wall with a hyper person is any better?  
  
R Amythest: no, Mokuba will be in the other prison. RYOU!!!!! *glomps Ryou*  
  
Ryou: ACK! Ok, I think we should get on with the fic. . .  
  
R Amythest: too bad. Leafe, you're going to pose in the dungeon soon, so prepare for it!  
  
Leafe: *mutters* at least there's one light side to this. . .  
  
Harp: *pretends to be cupid and fires a pink stream of magic at Leafe's back. The magic turns into a heart shape. Everyone except Leafe and Shimmer giggle*  
  
R Amythest: anyway, readers, sorry for the reeeeeaaaallllllyyyyy long wait, but this will be the chapter with the most adventure so far. . . And guess what? It begins with a pillow fight!  
  
*****************Chapter Twelve: Ambush *****************  
  
THUD!  
  
"Leafe, haven't ya caused enough damage alreadi'?"  
  
"OW! HEY!"  
  
"Isn't this a bit premature?" I asked Joey and Leafe. We just got introduced to our room (Leafe, Joey and I were staying in a room together, which was a fairly bad idea) and Joey was already taunting Leafe, who just couldn't hold in his temper. What started as a cushion to protect his branches ended up being a full-fledged pillow fight, and I was almost dragged into it. So far, we've almost broke the lamp(I barely saved it), tipped over the cabinet of spells(CRASH! Uh, scratch that), and smashed the door. What's even more surprising, Joey and Leafe haven't killed each other yet. Pretty interesting, huh?  
  
"So whad if it is? I could get usedta it!" Leafe grinned devilishly as the unaware Joey made eye contact with me and took the chance to smack Joey squarely in the stomach with an orange pillow.  
  
Feathers flew as the rampaging combatants smacked each other with pillows. I sighed and shuddered at the sound of shattering porcelain, and the room filling with darkness.  
  
Any guesses about what happened?  
  
"Guys, don't you in the least care about the host's budget?" I asked through the darkness.  
  
My answer was replied to with an "OW!" and a crash. I guess even darkness can't stop those two.  
  
I slid my sword out of its sheath and held it in front of me. "Guys, if you're not going to behave by yourselves. . ." I warned.  
  
They paid no attention. There was another thud and a cry of "THAT'S MY FOOT YOU IMBECILE!" and "GET OFF ME YOU MORON!" Sighing, I found my way to the door, with a few smacks in the head with pillows. I opened the door to see what exactly happened. There were pieces of ceramic on the floor everywhere, but fortunately, the bulb was still in one piece.  
  
Myst came up behind me, rubbing her eyes. "What now, Yugi?" she asked drowsily.  
  
"Leafe and Joey were having a pillow fight, and they broke a lot of things," I reviewed. They were now wrestling, Joey gripping on to Leafe's branches and Leafe inches away from Joey's throat. Myst's eyes widened.  
  
"Enough of this!" she shouted. Joey and Leafe's attention were immediately pulled to Myst. Mine was, too. I never knew Myst to shout. "This is rude, inappropriate, and NOT proper behavior!"  
  
Leafe and Joey looked around the room warily. Smashed bits of everything lay everywhere.  
  
I sighed. "You DO have a spell for this, do you?"  
  
"Yes I do," mumbled Myst. She obviously wanted to get back to sleep. She muttered her musical chant and the lamp pieced itself back together. All the other objects returned to normal, too. Myst grumbled groggily and went back to the room she stayed in. "Good night, sweets."  
  
I blushed, then turned back to the pair of troublemakers. "Now if you two would behave yourselves, I think I'd like to sleep," I scolded them.  
  
Leafe glared at me. "Easy for you to say. Two beds and you were lucky to get one for yourself. I think I would shut up if you and I were to switch places."  
  
"No way am I sharing a bed!" proclaimed Joey.  
  
I sighed. "Fine. I'm sleeping on the floor, happy?"  
  
Leafe and Joey exchanged evil grins. "YES!"  
  
"Oh great," I mumbled, "what now?"  
  
**MORNING**  
  
/one. . . two. . . three. . ./  
  
=/WAKE UP, SLEEPYHEAD!/=  
  
"What now?" I grumbled. Sounds of snickering were heard. I tiredly opened my eyes. Leafe and Joey were trying hard not to burst into laughter, which they failed at. Mere seconds later, they were rolling on the floor, clutching their stomachs. What have they done NOW? Deciding it was time to get up anyway, I staggered out into the bathroom.  
  
It was then I saw my reflection. Over the night, Joey and Leafe must've rubbed all the gel out of my hair. I must admit I did NOT look right. But now it was time for something else. I secured the lock (Thank Ra it worked!), flung my armor aside, and stepped into the small shower. It wasn't much, but it WAS one, and that was what counted. The cool sprays sort of stung. It was a long time since I experienced everyday events like these. My body felt sort of greasy, after not washing at Shimmer's and on the road. Shimmer's. . . Why is it every day can't go without these memories?  
  
Trying to forget this, I searched for soap/shampoo. Instead of a bottle that I was used to, there was a box hanging on a strap suspended over the shower stall. I wondered to myself if Ellie's relatives were short. I wrapped myself with a towel and dragged a footstool over. Holding onto the shower curtain for support, I bent over and slipped the box off the wire. Inside it, there were packages, the size of tealeaf packets. On them, neatly written, were the words 'Soap,' 'Shampoo,' 'Bubble Bath,' and 'Conditioner.' I removed a packet of Shampoo, Soap, and Conditioner. I didn't want to use more than I had to. I curiously ripped off a thin strip of paper off the Shampoo packet. I waited for a brief moment, wondering if it was going to explode or something. Seeing nothing happened, I tilted the package down towards my hand. A white powder came out. This is shampoo? Wondering if it was instant, I put a finger under the shower's spray and dipped it in the powder. The moment the water touched the 'Shampoo,' the powder turned into a thick liquid. Seeing that it wasn't going to burst into flames, I put all the stuff into my damp hair and rubbed it.  
  
The result WAS explosive, in the matter of fact, the little packet held more stuff than I thought it would. The soap filled my hair, but because of the fact that it was dripping wet, it expanded until it touched the spray of water, and that was how my back-breaking janitor's job begun. . .  
  
The bubbles started multiplying, and fast. Soon the whole shower was filled with tiny bubbles. At least most of it. Luckily, I was able to pop any bubble to approach my face. The last thing I needed was for my eyes to sting badly when I needed to get rid of bubbles. But a bubble managed to pop near my eye. I dropped all I was holding and rubbed the eye. Soon my vision was clear, but then I remembered what I dropped. . .  
  
The water quickly made its way through the thin paper and invaded the powder inside. In pure panic, I flung open the shower curtain and watched the bubbles increase. They grew and grew until the shower stall could hold them no more. The water and bubbles (how I despise that word!) flowed onto the blue mat lining the shower. I could just imagine. . .  
  
**PREDICTION**  
  
". . . and that's what you get for being hospitable!" Ellie shouted. Yugi was cleaning the last of the suds.  
  
**END OF PREDITION**  
  
I grimaced. Now I know why the US never forces residents to quarter soldiers. . . They make a mess, I have to admit. (4th amendment)  
  
Knowing I'd have to do it sooner or later, I opened the spell cabinet in the bathroom. Almost like I tapped into the heart of the cards, the perfect spell was right in front of me. Water dry-up. Just perfect! I grabbed the bottle and ran over to the soapy mess. Flinging the shower curtain over, I turned off the shower. I then opened the bottle and poured the powder in. The bubbles popped as the potion touched it. I sprinkled the rest on the bubbles leaking onto the floor. The bubbles popped away. Sighing that the mess was over, I stepped back into the shower and turned on the water. Since the powder in my hair was all liquid, I rinsed all the foamy shampoo out, promising myself I'd never fiddle with stuff I didn't know ever again.  
  
I dried my hair with the towel, but it was still sopping wet. Squeezing some of the water out, I decided I needed a blow-drier. And some hair gel as well. "Hey, Ellie, do you have a blow-dryer?"  
  
I heard some mumbling. "Get the water dry-up!"  
  
I peered into the bottle. I used it all up on the bubble incident. Never mind, then.  
  
"Ellie, do you have hair gel?" I called.  
  
"What gel?" Ellie shouted back, confused. There was a short silence. "Oh, that. Check the spell cabinet for the stiffen spell! And please hurry, we need to go shopping!"  
  
I warily opened the spell cabinet. I pushed aside bottles until I found a bottle neatly labeled 'Stiffen.' "How do you use this stuff?" I asked her.  
  
"Put a small glob onto your hand and rub it into your hair. Hold how you'd like it to be for a minute."  
  
I did as she told me to. I did my bangs first, then the back of my hair. It worked like magic. Correction- it WAS magic. And my hair was dry, too. I slipped on my armor again and unlocked the door, and then stepped out into the hall.  
  
Ellie was putting her shoes on. There were golden pancakes on the table. Myst was yelling at Leafe and Joey (again) to act maturely. Tea seemed to be helping. Mai was trying hard not to glomp Joey, which she was obviously taking great effort to do.  
  
"Yugi, hurry up and eat those pancakes on the table. They're cold, but I have to go shopping for spells and clothes and all that stuff," Ellie explained. "You guys will probably have to come with me."  
  
I hopped over to the table. Even though they were cold, they were still delicious. In a short time, I was done, and we were jogging along the sidewalk to the supermarket.  
  
The temperature was just right, slightly cold, slightly warm, and slightly humid. It was just your typical early-fall weather. There were duel monsters bustling about everywhere, and it was obvious Billowy City had a huge population.  
  
Ellie made us stop at a large building. It kind of resembled Kaiba Corp. It was almost a skyscraper, with gleaming windows and an incredible height. A neon sign with the words 'BILLOWY CITY SUPERMARKET' was attached to the front of the building. Ellie walked in, with us following her. I stared at the sign. For some reason I felt uneasy with the large thing kept up with only two beams. "Hey Yugi, hurry up!" Tea called out.  
  
"Coming!" I answered. I ran in after my friends. My vision was darkening. "Wait, I think I'm going to have a visi-"  
  
**VISION**  
  
We heard large thumping sounds in the floors above us. Summon skulls raced in. "Everyone stay still if you treasure your lives!" they barked. My friends and 'I' froze as the Summon skulls approached us. The summon skulls turned to Leafe. "Spy. . ." one of them growled. Leafe reached into his pocket, but he was stopped when the summon skull lifted him up. . .  
  
"Yugi!" he shouted. "Reach in my pocket and grab-"  
  
**END VISION**  
  
"What's going to happen to us?" Myst asked me as I regained consciousness.  
  
"The summon skulls are going to come. . ." I said quietly. My friends looked at each other with worried faces.  
  
"Who do they want this time?" Leafe asked.  
  
"You," I muttered quietly.  
  
/It's a dream come true!/  
  
#JOEY!#  
  
|Joey, that's not very polite. . .|  
  
I thought I heard an engine roaring or something that sounded awfully like that. . .  
  
Guys, do you hear what I hear?  
  
We all listened attentively. There were thuds, and they were approaching the supermarket! Oh no, this is where my vision comes true! Summon skulls raced in. "Everyone stay still if you treasure your lives!" they barked. My friends and I froze as the Summon skulls approached us. My heart started thumping like crazy as I watched them surround Leafe. Leafe slowly backed away. . . "Spy. . ." a summon skull growled. Leafe reached into his pocket, but he was stopped when the summon skull lifted him up. . .  
  
"Yugi!" he shouted. "Reach in my pocket and grab Brain Control!"  
  
Using my sword to levitate myself, I shot up into the air and fired a blast at the summon skull. He loosened his grip on Leafe, and I had time to snatch his case of magic spells. But in the time that I took getting the spells out of his pocket, the summon skulls sprinkled a powder over themselves, and they vanished. I stared at the open space that used to hold the form of Leafe. I slowly let my sword carry me back to the ground.  
  
"So. . . Where'd they go?" asked Tea.  
  
"That was probably teleportation powder. . ." Myst answered, her voice trailing off.  
  
/I never thought I'd miss 'im. . ./  
  
&Tell you the truth, neither did I. . .&  
  
\Ellie, I thought you said that you'd never learn to like those who destroy the house. . .\  
  
&Don't we all change?&  
  
I, however, remained silent. I touched my sword, and closed my eyes, freeing my mind of all thoughts, except one. Where are you, Harp, Bakura, Shimmer, and Leafe?  
  
**VISION**  
  
Leafe was squirming and trying to damage the summon skulls in one way or another, but to no avail. The summon skulls handcuffed him to the wall, right besides Shimmer.  
  
"Leafe?" Shimmer gasped.  
  
Leafe's crimson eyes met Shimmer's soft pink ones. "Yup, it's me." Leafe struggled a bit to reach into his sleeve. He held on to something then brought it out. Peering closer, I saw it was a bobby pin. I guess some tricks were used in all dimensions.  
  
Leafe started twisting the bobby pin in and out of the lock. "Don't worry Shimmer, I'll get you all out in no time. After all, I always did get an A at lock picking where I was trained. . ."  
  
**END VISION**  
  
"Yug'? What happened?" Joey asked, leaning over me. "Didya have a vision again?"  
  
"Yeah. Leafe's trying to pick the lock, but I don't think it's going to turn out well," I answered. I gazed at the bundle of spells in my hands. "I shouldn't have took these. . . Leafe might've needed them. . ."  
  
"Well, since you took it anyway, let's see what's inside," suggested Tea.  
  
I nodded and unzipped it. Many bottles were inside, so many I couldn't believe my eyes.  
  
"Wow," gasped Ellie. "I didn't know he had all those. . ."  
  
"I knew he had a few of them," I replied, taking out 'Fire.' Also inside was 'Water,' 'Overgrowth,' 'Brain Control,' 'Sogen,' 'Swords of Revealing Light,' 'Mirror Force,' 'Acid Trap Hole,' 'Hurricane,' 'Fire-Prevention,' 'Electricity,' 'De-Spell,' and 'Mirror Force.'  
  
Myst glanced at their labels. "Leafe's an elemental. Interesting."  
  
"A what?" I asked, clueless.  
  
"Elemental spies are the ones who focus mostly on element magic. Leafe's got most of the elements. I think he only needs two to complete this impressive collection. Too bad he didn't bring any money. It would really help us right now. . ." Myst commented.  
  
"I've got mine," Ellie told her.  
  
"Yeah, but it's not much," Myst reminded Ellie.  
  
I sighed. On the road, money's always a problem.  
  
\You've certainly got that right. . .\  
  
"Don't you think it's about time for lunch? I'm hungry," I commented.  
  
"You only ate two hours ago," Tea said.  
  
"Visions really tire you out. Besides, I need to see something at Ellie's," I told them. They agreed to go home, and that left me to wonder if the picture of a Celtic Guardian on the wall really meant something. . .  
  
*********  
  
R Amythest: ahh. . . does the last sentence in any way sound familiar? Hint- chapter 7. Comb it thoroughly! If you do, you'll get a hint of what it means. And. . . I can't believe I'm aiming to do character death next chapter! *sob*  
  
Ryou: I'd better not be me. . .  
  
R Amythest: Of course not. There's only a certain number of times a person can die, and I've already made you die four times in my poems, so you can take a break. . .  
  
Ryou: goooooood. . .  
  
R Amythest: I'm hinting towards action and drama next chapter. I hope it won't be as funny as this one. . .  
  
Leafe: and PLEASE make this stupid lock easier to pick! It's taking forever!  
  
R Amythest: it needs to take a long time to pick or it won't fit with the storyline.  
  
Myst: Who's dying?  
  
R Amythest: you'll find out. . . and it'll be a sad event, especially to YOU, Myst. . .  
  
Myst: *sigh*  
  
R Amythest: Well, review! And the more reviews, the faster the next chapter will come up. . . 


	13. Reunited With Our Love

R Amythest: . . . And the pairings have officially been decided!  
  
Yami Amythest: *rolls eyes* we know. You've been ranting about it the whole day.  
  
R Amythest: okay, so here're the couplings!  
  
Myst/Yugi  
  
Comment: I'VE BEEN DOING IT THE WHOLE FIC! YOU'D BETTER CAUGHT SOMETHING LIKE THAT!  
  
Shimmer/Leafe  
  
Comment: Again, sorta obvious, but if you didn't notice. . . I'll let you slide. Strange how they started out hating each other, huh?  
  
Joey/Mai  
  
Comment: I fully support this pairing in basic YuGiOh stuff. I mean, did anyone else catch how Mai hugged Joey in the digital game? And I've been hinting it on here, too. Actually, more than hinting.  
  
Tea/(nobody)  
  
Comment: Is that a huge relief?  
  
Ryou/Harp  
  
Comment: Not very obvious, but it's there. You really didn't think I'd put Ryou with someone I didn't like, right? Favorite_Bishie/Favorite(monster)_Card= ^_______^ R Amythest.  
  
Tristen/Ellie  
  
Comment: Agh. . . That's one reason this is going to be dramatic. Yes, Tristen comes in but. . . Just read it!  
  
Yami Amythest: uh huh. . .  
  
R Amythest: wait, I want to change the Tea thing. . . And contribute to the Tristen thing.  
  
Tea/Magest  
  
Comment: If you forgot who Magest is, I suggest you re-read chapter 8. I DID put in Magest and Relene in there for a reason, but it shall not be revealed. Until later. Um. . . did I insult Tea/Anzu haters by pairing her with elegant Magest? Sorry ^_^;  
  
Tristen/Relene  
  
Comment: It'll be a lot later in the fic, and I hope I didn't insult Tristen haters. Tell you the truth, I respect every character, no matter what their flaw.  
  
Yami Amythest: But what about what you said about Yami Malik?  
  
R Amythest: Oh yeah. Um. . . I dislike Miho (That's MY Ryou!), Tristen (the dope), Tea (less than everyone else, but she's still annoying), and Peggy (now someone else sounds feminine!), but I still respect them, but I ABSOLUTLY HATE YAMI MALIK FOR WHAT HE DID TO POOR RYOU!!!!!! *sob* if you're wondering, he KILLED HIM! Yami Malik sent Ryou's body to the shadow realm. Sure, Yami Bakura made a getaway into the puzzle, but Ryou was goooooone for a looooooong time until he came back!  
  
Yami Amythest: Hikari, you're ranting again. . .  
  
R Amythest: ^_^ okay, you're all thinking 'hurry up and get on with the fic!' right? Okee, then!  
  
***********Chapter Thirteen: Reunited with our Love*************  
  
I still stood staring at the oil painting, hanging on a screw in the wall. It was bordered by beautiful golden wood, polished and shiny. It seemed to add a glow to the picture. The picture itself was a beauty. It was obviously made by a talented artist, with the swirling colors and the smooth feeling of love and happiness. But what puzzled me the most was what was on it.  
  
A mystical elf, definitely Ellie, was standing next to a Celtic Guardian. It was a beautiful spring day, with pink blossom trees scattered around in the background. The sky was a light blue, with a touch of pink to indicate that the sun had just risen. The clouds were loose and free in the vast sky. If they could move I could imagine how they would. They were in love, I knew that, but they weren't sure how they would start their long life of joy together. But, if that was who I thought it was, it wouldn't last nearly as long as they thought it would be.  
  
"Elaine, are sure about this?" I heard Myst ask in the room next to me.  
  
"Of course cuz! You were always the more athletic one, but I'll do just fine!" Ellie assured her.  
  
"You don't know what it's like going off into war. . ." Myst said uncertainly.  
  
"It'll be okay!" Ellie replied.  
  
I went over to the room to see what the fuss was about. Elli had a small pouch tied to her waist.  
  
"Myst, what's going on?" I asked.  
  
"Ellie's joining us," Myst said disdainfully.  
  
"Oh," I said flatly. "But I need to ask you something."  
  
"What?" Myst inquired.  
  
"Um. . ." I stuttered, unsure of what to say. I didn't want Ellie to burst into tears. "Out into the hall."  
  
Myst followed me into the hall. I stopped in front of the picture. "Is this of Ellie and the Celtic Guardian that died?"  
  
Myst's eyes were fixed on the picture, like it brought back memories. "Yes, that was Ceon. I painted that myself."  
  
"Huh?" I asked. Myst looked at me, and a swirl of colors appeared before me.  
  
**VISION**  
  
Myst was leaning over a canvas. She had oil paints sitting on a stool beside her. Standing in the grassy plain were Ellie and Ceon. They were looking at each other passionately. The sky was beautiful, just like how it was in the painting.  
  
"Hey, will you two quit flirting and stay still so I can paint this?" Myst joked.  
  
"Okay," agreed Ellie as she leaned towards Ceon. Ceon wrapped his arms around her.  
  
Myst started to paint Ellie's face shape. But when she looked back, Ellie and Ceon were back at it.  
  
"When will you guy stop it," Myst giggled. The couple moved back into their original positions. Myst chuckled then resumed the painting the painting.  
  
**END VISION**  
  
"Wow, I never knew you were a painter," I commented.  
  
"You know now," Myst replied.  
  
Ellie came out of the room. "Hey, I'm ready! Can we hit the road now?"  
  
"Okay, but be careful if you don't want to end up like Ceon," Myst warned.  
  
Ellie stiffened slightly. "I'll be careful," she reassured.  
  
She doesn't seem to take it too harshly. . .  
  
\Don't worry. She's already had a long time of talk about it, and she's gotten used to it. . .\  
  
&Anyway. . . I'M READY TO GO-O-O!!!!!&  
  
\All right, then. . .\  
  
We all made sure our stuff was with us. Tea complained that her clothes were starting to rip, and Mai wanted to stay with the nail file, but Joey was too hyper about it. Once Myst and I got the group settled down, we set out into the streets of Billowy City.  
  
The city was indeed huge. It was one time I wish I really WAS Gaia. My feet are sore from walking all the way across it, too, but we eventually made it. Bt by the time we reached the forest at the other side of the city, it was nightfall, with only the stars lighting our way, for it was a new moon.  
  
"Okay, I'll chant a light spell," Myst told us.  
  
"No objection," Mai confirmed.  
  
Myst's light lighted about three feet around us in every direction. The shadows that the trees gave off reminded me of the first forest we went through, when we had Harp with us.  
  
We followed her through, using Tea's policy on 'going in one direction.'  
  
#This is kinda scary. . .#  
  
|Tea, you're tough, I know that. Are those wimpy boys rubbing off on you?|  
  
/Hey!/  
  
|Sorry, Joe!|  
  
We went straight through the woods. But as we found out, that might've not been the easiest thing.  
  
"A METAL BARRIER?! OUT IN THE WOODS?!" roared Joey.  
  
"Who knew," I shrugged.  
  
"Okay, what do you vote for, detour, or break it down?" Myst asked us.  
  
If we detour, we might get lost. . .  
  
|But do you think you can break a metal wall. . .| Mai tapped the wall. It made a 'brump' sound. |around 6 feet wide?|  
  
I don't know. . . but I'll try!  
  
I raised my sword high in the air and swiped it onto the barrier with a "YAH!" The barrier still stayed standing, my attack only causing a scratch.  
  
"Hmm. . . What about using that sword strike thing?" Joey suggested.  
  
"Okay. . . SWORD OF SILENCE, STRIKE!!!!!!" I yelled. No beam shot from the blade. "I guess it's all used up or something," I mused.  
  
"Then how do we get across?" wailed Tea.  
  
"I don't know. . ." Mai murmured.  
  
Ellie gasped. "HAS THE GREAT MAI FINALLY ADMITTED DEFEAT?!"  
  
Mai glared at Ellie. "No, I'm just thinking."  
  
"Hey, Mai admitted defeat?" someone asked. We spun around. Tristen was approaching us. "I never thought I'd live to see the day that-"  
  
"Shut it!" Mai snapped.  
  
Tristen caught a glimpse of Ellie casually examining the wall. "Whoa, what's with all pretty ladies?" Tristen asked, almost drooling.  
  
I noticed his sudden liking. "That's Ellie you're staring at."  
  
"Anyways, who do we get past this?" Mai wailed.  
  
"Beats me. No way to detour, I've been walking along this wall the whole day," informed Tristen.  
  
I eyed his machine gun. "Ever try blasting it?"  
  
"I'll give it a blast!" Tristen volunteered. He shot the metal wall and the dirt and grit shot up into the air. Metal derbies pelted us. I coughed as I breathed in the dust. I could hear everyone else coughing, too.  
  
When the residue finally settled, there was a large hole in the barrier. On the other side were bushes, trees, and more greenery.  
  
"Well, I guess that means more walking," I thought aloud. Suddenly, Myst's chanting stopped, and we were trapped in the darkness. It kind of made me wonder how Tristen didn't get lost. Hey, Tristen, how did you make your way through this night?  
  
+I put one hand on the wall and followed it.+  
  
\I've ran out of magical energy. Seems like we can't go much farther. . .\  
  
&Not to worry, cuz!& There was a ray of light that reflected off the metal barrier. I shielded my eyes from the sudden brightness. Seeing what she done, Ellie apologized, "Sorry, Yugi," and re-directed the beam.  
  
"What's that?" Joey asked.  
  
"Light spell, in a bottle," replied Ellie. "It's like what you call a 'flashlight.'"  
  
"Okay, then, who's going first?" Mai asked. No one seemed to want to face what mysteries were on the other side of the barrier without the 'flashlight.' Everyone slowly turned to Mai. "ME?! Harpie Ladies only have 1300 attack points! It's not fair!" she complained.  
  
"You have wings! I just noticed that! You could've just flew right over and we wouldn't have had to cough our lungs out!" Joey exclaimed arrogantly.  
  
"You JUST noticed that? We rode on her before," I recalled. ("Hey, I'm having amnesia, I didn't remember that!" complained Joey)"But if we did, Myst would have to concentrate on Mai WHILE chanting a spell in the dark!"  
  
"Can we NOT argue about the past?" Ellie suggested.  
  
"Fine," Mai, Joey, and I huffed. I could've sworn I heard Tristen mutter, 'anything for you, Lady Ellie.'  
  
"So, who's going first?" asked Mai again.  
  
It seemed to be the start of another argument. "Fine then, I'll go!" I volunteered.  
  
I hoisted myself up into the hole. (I'm short!) I peered out into the wide open. All there was was darkness. I couldn't see a thing. Behind me, I heard Myst whisper, "Be careful, Yugi." Holding my breath, I took a step into the open. The leaves crunched under my feet.  
  
"LOOK OUT! ON YOUR LEFT!" Tristen screamed. I whirled around and saw a Ryu- Ran with shiny claws attacking me, right before I had a vision.  
  
**VISION**  
  
"There! All done!" announced Leafe as Harp's handcuffs snapped open. Shimmer and Bakura were standing behind him. Harp rubbed her newly freed hands.  
  
"Thanks, Leafe," sighed Harp.  
  
"Now what do we do?" asked Shimmer.  
  
"We get out of here, that's for sure," answered Bakura.  
  
"How do we get out undetected?" Shimmer challenged.  
  
"I could always take a guard," shrugged Bakura.  
  
"Maybe," Leafe considered.  
  
"It's the only thing we've got. I say, GO FOR IT!" Harp voted.  
  
They heard a guard stomping over, and everyone except Bakura hid in the cell. A summon skull rounded the bend. He skillfully merged into the skull. The skull looked dazed for a second, before it regained its posture, now with Bakura in command.  
  
"Come on! Before the skulls notice I'm an imposter!" Bakura whispered. Shimmer, Leafe, and Harp crept silently towards him.  
  
Bakura found a key labeled 'Security' and used it to turn off the alarm. He silently opened the door. "Listen, I'm going to have to stay here. If I leave command of the summon skull now, he's bound to sound the alarm."  
  
"Leave. . . you. . . behind?" croaked Harp.  
  
"Hey! Revlon! They in their cells and sufferin'?" some summon skulls asked.  
  
{Listen, RUN! I can only distract them for so long!} "Yeah, they're hung up all right!" Bakura managed to say. In the background, Shimmer, and Leafe ran through the door. Harp took one last look at Bakura before taking off. ~Thank you, Ryou.~  
  
**VISION END**  
  
I awoke lying on my back. What happened? What happened to that Ryu-Ran with dragon nails?  
  
~Leafe and I chased it off.~  
  
I got up quickly. "Harp? You're back!"  
  
Harp nodded. "So are Shimmer and Leafe. But. . . Ryou had to stay back there with the guards." Harp sighed.  
  
"I know that much. I saw it through the vision," I acknowledged. "But how did you find us?"  
  
Shimmer put on a lopsided grin. "Leafe's secret tool, the locater spell! The ultimate help in spy tech-"  
  
"Shh! Shut it!" hissed Leafe as he put a hand over Shimmer's mouth.  
  
"So that means the prison isn't far from here?" I asked them.  
  
"Only around two miles," mused Harp.  
  
"How long will it take us to get there?" Joey inquired.  
  
"It took us only 4 hours," Leafe told us, "but I used up the rest of my locater spell, and that's only available at one store."  
  
"Yeah, the s- mmph!"  
  
"Shimmer! Anyway, we might get lost this time," Leafe informed us.  
  
We all groaned. I heard stomping. Shh! Quiet!  
  
The trees to our left crunched under a large foot. Carefully, Ellie shined the flashlight over. It was blue!  
  
"Oh really Yugi, I was HOPING not to meet up with you!" Kaiba sneered. "But now, I guess we'll have to play it my way!"  
  
=Use brain control!=  
  
Right!  
  
I uncapped brain control. Two blue hands flew out of the bottle.  
  
"What?! Is that-" Kaiba didn't get to finish his sentence as the brain control took effect.  
  
"Well, this'll come in handy," Myst said. "On to the Kaiba express!"  
  
The scene was quite funny if anyone saw it. A small gang riding on a BEWD. What's even more ironic is the fact that two archrivals are so close together, and neither are thinking of killing each other.  
  
With the help of Leafe's brain control, we sped through the night sky, with Ellie's light guiding the way. But the worst was about to happen.  
  
There was a piercing scream. I heard multiple cries of "Ellie!" near the tail of Kaiba. The only light source disappeared, and I heard swishing in the air. No doubt, Doma had struck again. The angel of silences were evidently after the rest of us, too. I made Kaiba fly faster, and the angels were straining to follow us.  
  
"I HAVE NO CLUE WHERE WE'RE GOING!" I yelled through the rushing sound of the wind.  
  
"ME NEITHER, BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO BE BEHEADED, DO YOU?!" shouted back Leafe. There was a chanting, and I could see that Myst was straining to use 'Light.'  
  
"SAVE IT FOR LATER!" I called back. The chanting stopped. We flew so quickly we passed two or three cities before Doma finally gave up. Myst used Light again, and I could see what happened.  
  
Held firmly by Leafe and Tristen was the red form of Ellie. Her stomach was pierced open, her eyes closed and mouth spilling blood, also. Leafe and Tristen were also halfway soaked in blood.  
  
"I knew this would happen," sobbed Myst. "I just knew it!"  
  
Other than Myst's hysterical crying (which I tried my best to soothe her) and occasional sniffs from Tristen, the scene was silent. It seemed that Doma had done their jobs. I silently cursed them under my breath. Myst could barely keep up Light under the strain of the tears. Harp silently chanted an old ritual, which granted the soul to the afterlife. Leafe decided this wasn't the best time to disturb a group and even he didn't comment.  
  
We stayed like that for a few minutes until we heard a few grunts from Kaiba. I froze. We were still on top of him! Kaiba arched his head over to us and looked like he was going to kill us when he caught sight of Ellie. He paused for a second. "Fine then, there's enough commotion to keep you occupied. I'll promise I won't take advantage of this momentous situation if you let me take one of you to my boss to prove I haven't been slacking off. And to keep Mokuba alive."  
  
We looked at each other to make a decision. Finally, Harp spoke up. "I will."  
  
But you just got back!  
  
/Yeah! And you have to go through all of 'that' again!/  
  
|No one deserves to be in prison twice in a row.|  
  
But there was no reply from Harp as she held on to Kaiba's wings and we slowly retreated. As Kaiba flew off, I heard a distant thought from Harp. ~At least there's one bright side to this. I will see Ryou at least once more. . .~  
  
I nearly slapped myself in realization. Harp deliberately turned herself in this time to be reunited with Bakura! Even though she knew she would be captured again. That led me to wonder if the Doma incident was accidental, or suicide. Well, if it is suicide, I might as well grant her wish. . . I dug my sword into the ground and lifted a layer of dirt off the earth.  
  
"Yugi, what are you doing?" Myst asked, her tears finally stopping.  
  
"She probably want to be with Ceon in the afterlife," I grunted, swiping off some more dirt.  
  
"Good idea," agreed Mai. Joey and she assisted me.  
  
Leafe remained silent until he got an idea. "Wait, stand aside."  
  
A bit baffled, but still obedient, Mai, Joey, and I went away from the trench.  
  
"Toss me acid trap hole!" Leafe commanded. I saw what he was going to do. I handed him the spell. He opened it and tossed it towards the hole. It instantly became deeper. "Now overgrowth!" I gave him that spell, too. He used a small bit of overgrowth- just enough to make all the acid disappear. Leafe nodded towards Tristen, and he carried Ellie over into the ditch and gently laid her inside.  
  
"I loved you, Ellie," Tristen gently whispered. This was a side of him I never knew. Who knew he was this soft inside? After he briskly wiped away some tears, he stepped back. Leafe used overgrowth again, and the most beautiful flowers burst into bloom. Amongst all this, I could've sworn I saw two fairy-like creatures swirl together, going into the night sky.  
  
Ellie and Ceon were together at long last.  
  
*****  
  
R Amythest: aww. . . *sigh* review. Flames will be used for the fireplace. . .  
  
Yami Amythest: which Yami Bakura is currently having fun with. . .  
  
R Amythest: *eyes widen in horror* WHAT?! Who'd he burn?!  
  
Yami Amythest: hmm. . . *thinks about how to take advantage of the situation* Ryou, I think. . .  
  
R Amythest: WHAT?! *rushes to fireplace room*  
  
Yami Amythest: *smirks*  
  
Yami Bakura: *comes in and R Amythest rushes past him* what in the world happened?  
  
Yami Amythest: some mortals don't apply common sense.  
  
Yami Bakura: That's evident.  
  
Yami Amythest: *giggles* maybe we should get together more often. . .  
  
Ryou: *walks in* um. . . what's going on here? *sees YB and YA acting fluffy* O_O; *sweatdrop* whatever. . . review! 


	14. Reflect upon it

R Amythest: I think I might go a little harsh on the character death. . .  
  
Yami Amythest: She's planning to kill Myst and Mokuba! ^_^  
  
R Amythest: *death glare at Yami Amythest* Uh-huh. Riiiiight.  
  
Yami Amythest: She is!  
  
R Amythest: all too true. . . but believe me, there WILL be a sequel! And I won't necessarily kill them in this chapter.  
  
Mokuba: I'm going. . . t-t-to die?  
  
R Amythest: we'll use movie magic again. You won't really die.  
  
Mokuba: whew.  
  
R Amythest: hmm. . . *looks at a bottle labeled 'Love Spray'* the Kaiba Cam producer, ShadowFire, gave me this.  
  
Yami Amythest: *looks at it* Okay, I have some hot advice. All the males, get out!!!  
  
R Amythest: But Ryou, you stay!  
  
Ryou: *gulps and wonders what R Amythest is going to do NOW*  
  
*when all the boys except Ryou have left, R Amythest uses the Love Spray, but her hand slipped and she used the whole bottle. . .*  
  
R Amythest: oops. . . She DID say a small amount, right?  
  
Ryou: *instantly smells too much* mmm. . . *glomps R Amythest and starts trying to kiss her*  
  
Yami Amythest: *smirks* a little hold up, I guess. *rubs palm against R Amythest's hair* I think I'm going to get myself a date with Yami Bakura. But oh shoot, the author passed out. I guess I'll have to type this chapter. And this is mainly Yugi's thoughts about the whole thing. Some dreams.  
  
R Amythest: *regains consciousness* which means you can skip it. *passes out*  
  
Yami Amythest: not really. This is vital to the whole thing.  
  
***************Chapter Fourteen: Reflect Upon it****************  
  
It was night. The sky was pitch black. Black, like evil's soul. We slowly made our way across the forest, leaving our comrade behind. Our comrade who had died. Ellie. Who was back with her love. Shimmer, who was split from hers.  
  
"Tristen, how much further is it?" Myst whispered through the sobs.  
  
"I don't know. None of us do," Tristen replied.  
  
"Well, then, I guess the best thing we could do is set up camp for the night," Mai suggested. Leafe barely responded.  
  
The only thing I could do was nod. So many things have changed over the past month. My childlike innocence was gone. I don't see things the ways I used to. I've learned, the hard way, that everything has its drawbacks. Loving freely can get you hurt. Hurt beyond your wildest imagination. Trusting can lead to betrayal. The only betraying move that gets you beaten, injured, and killed. Hope might not get you anywhere. Hope was fooling yourself that you will get you something when you really can't. I knew these things. I learned them the hard way.  
  
\Yugi, what's the matter?\  
  
Nothing. . . nothing. . . But my heart told me I knew better. Which should I listen to, the mind or the heart? Yami always told me to believe in the heart of the cards, but the millennium items are back in our worlds. The heart of the cards, which I used to trust. Used to. But not anymore.  
  
The stars twinkled in protest, but I batted them away. What good did it do? The heart of the cards weren't here now. They were real, and 3-d objects had a mind of their own. I can't trust every thing that they say, some of them are bad and I know it. I know it now. After all I trusted them for, they would go away, leaving me behind. . . I learned that the hard way, too. . .  
  
**FLASHBACK**  
  
It was just a few hours ago. Another change of heart card came to join us, Penele. Her figure was just like the illustration on the card. And a change of heart card was the only duel monster we needed to defeat the ultimate monster, for Crygif attacked us right there, on the spot.  
  
We all waited for Penele to do something. She did. But it wasn't what we wanted. Instead of taking Crygif, she took Leafe.  
  
"What are you doing this, Penele?" I cried out.  
  
Penele snorted. "You don't think Leafe is the only spy around here, do you?"  
  
"Leafe!" Shimmer cried out.  
  
Penele spun around. "And I think I'll start with this pipsqueak!" But Penele's face started shifting between emotions. In between, I could hear gasps of, 'let me go, you vile beast!' and 'not Shimmer! Not her!' But in the end, it was.  
  
Leafe eventually gave way and Penele gained full control again. Slightly agitated, but still going, she tossed the whole bottle of Liquid fire at Shimmer. Shimmer gave pitiful squeaks, like the kind you get from mice when they know they're going to die.  
  
"Shimmer!" we all cried. Penele rushed out of Leafe, who collapsed from exhaustion of fighting her. Shimmer's form fell to the ground.  
  
And she burst into shimmering stars.  
  
"Well done, Penele," I heard Crygif mutter. The two vanished into the night, and I swore I would take them down some day. . . I promised myself.  
  
Leafe appeared dazed, but got back on his feet again. The shining pieces of Shimmer floated down on Leafe. His tears were faintly seen, alit by the stars in the heavens, and Leafe knew that Shimmer was now one of them.  
  
**END FLASHBACK**  
  
Betrayal. The darkest form of any kind of evil. Just when you trusted them the most, with all your heart, they turn against you. "A friend who will lie for you will also lie against you," someone once said. And they were right.  
  
\Yugi, something's wrong. . . I can tell. . .\  
  
Please, leave me alone. . . through all my thoughts, I could barely croak that out.  
  
/Yugi. . . something's wrong. . ./  
  
+And we're not going to leave you alone until you tell us!+  
  
GO AWAY! I shouted, putting up the strongest mental defenses I could. I could hear Joey and Tristen muttering, "Something's not right with that kid," and gave each other a look that said, 'and he's going to tell me what.' Guess what? They were wrong.  
  
Myst looked at me sadly, like I slapped her right on her fair face. I might've, if I felt any darker. Guilt instantly stabbed in my heart, but I tried to ignore it. What was wrong with me?! Why am I thinking these thoughts?! Joey and Tristen were right. This wasn't me. But it is.  
  
********  
  
Yami Amythest: was that OOC? Heehehehehe. . .  
  
R Amythest: YAMI!!!!! DELETE THAT STORY RIGHT NOW!!!!!  
  
Yami Amythest: why should I? You can't do a thing with Ryou on top of you!  
  
R Amythest: *curses*  
  
Ryou: *glomping R Amythest in "The Most Comfortable Position in the World."*  
  
R Amythest: can someone request the Anti-Love spray for me?  
  
Yami Amythest: not yet. I'm going to see if that stuff works with Yami Bakura. *goes out into hall, but accidentally leaves the door open. . .*  
  
All Males: *smell perfume and come running* SHE'S MINE! NO, SHE'S MINE! BACK OFF YOU BOZO!  
  
Mai: *sweatdrop* I guess I'll go get the anti-love spray. . . Oh, and I found these notes in her pocket. . .  
  
~~~~~~~Pronunciation Guide~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Penele fN-e-lE  
  
~~~~~~~~Cards you Might not know~~~~~~~  
  
Here are the details of the angel of silence that I didn't know before (thanks, reviewers!)  
  
Name: Doma, the Angel of Silence  
  
Stats: Real, Metal Raiders, common  
  
Points: 1600/1400  
  
Type: Dark  
  
Creature: Fairy  
  
Level Stars: 3, I think. Don't kill me if it's wrong.  
  
Description: (I have no idea)  
  
What it looks like: realllllly gruesome. It has an eye on each arm and it carries a spear. It's a man, if you're wondering.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Mai: with that, it's off to Kaiba Cam!  
  
Author's Note: yes, she really did give me it. See?  
  
Shadowfire: "What am I going to do with the Love Spray?"  
  
Mokuba: "You could give it to someone."  
  
Shadowfire: "R Amythest asked me for it......I could give it to her."  
  
Mokuba: "So give it to her. Authoresses gotta stick together."  
  
Shadowfire: "I think we've been hanging out together for to long. That sounds like something I would say."  
  
R Amythest appears out of nowhere.  
  
Shadowfire gives R Amythest the Love Spray. "Use in small amounts, and wash it of after you use it. The stuff spreads like a virus so be careful. Once you find your one true love get rid of it, or you'll be getting really popular really fast."  
  
R Amythest takes the spray and leaves.  
  
  
  
_______ See? If you want more proof go to:  
  
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1010231&chapter=8  
  
and I recommend you stay and read it. It's quite funny. And now I'm going to beg her for the Anti- spray -_-; I must sound like a jerk. 


	15. SelfConflict

R Amythest: *frantically trying to get out of a mob of boys*  
  
Mai: HERE! *puffs anti-love spray*  
  
Males: *go away*  
  
R Amythest: WAIT! RYOU!!!!!!!!! *glomp*  
  
Mai: *sweatdrops* I thought you wanted to get rid of them. . .  
  
R Amythest: *pouts* I still wanted Ryou. . . Wait, I know! *drags Yami Amythest out and rubs her hand*  
  
Yami Amythest: what the. . .?  
  
R Amythest: *sticks hand in front of Ryou's face* Ryou. . .  
  
Ryou: *smells the small bit of perfume* well. . . *glomps R Amythest*  
  
R Amythest: ^_^ perfect!!!!  
  
Yami Amythest: *sniffle* I was going to attract Yami Bakura. . .  
  
Yami Maya: OH NO YOU DON'T!!!! HE'S MINE!!!!!!!  
  
Yami Bakura: *sweatdrop* pressure. . .  
  
R Amythest: Yami Maya, I thought you liked Malik. . .  
  
Yami Maya: *sniffle* *sob* HE DUMPED ME!!!!!!  
  
R Amythest: *sweatdrop* ooookkkkkkkkaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy. . .  
  
Yami Bakura: Then you're in for a surprise. I HATE YOU YAMI MAYA!!!!!  
  
Yami Maya: *SOB!* *SOB!*  
  
R Amythest: *pushes Yami Maya out* GO BACK TO YOUR HIKARI!!!! It's time to get the show on the road!  
  
New symbols:  
  
positive thoughts (Yugi)  
  
Negative Thoughts (Something inside Yugi)  
  
'Negative speech (Something inside Yugi)'  
  
However, it's going to sound like Yugi to anyone who listens via mindlink. But I just needed things to represent contrasting thoughts.  
  
**********Chapter Fifteen: Self-Conflict************  
  
It was morning. It was way too perky for my tastes. What?! I usually like the morning.  
  
"Everyone ready to go?" asked Myst cheerfully.  
  
'At nightfall,' something made me say.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
'Shut up!' it made me bark.  
  
Everyone looked at each other. "Maybe he's tired," I heard Leafe say.  
  
Maybe I'm crabby today and easily irritated.  
  
I'm crabby? I don't remember the last time I said that. . .  
  
Shut up.  
  
Mai sighed. "Well, if he's mad he could easily kill us all, you know."  
  
"But Yug'," protested Joey.  
  
'Leave. . . me. . . alone!' The thing made me fire a beam at Joey, who was barely saved by Leafe, who used 'Mirror Wall.'  
  
"Maybe we shouldn't bother him," he muttered.  
  
You got that right, bushes.  
  
That was the first time I actually felt like that. By thoughts were battling each other. It made the most painful mental battle. I was confused. Exactly what should I do?  
  
"Well, at least have breakfast," suggested Myst quietly.  
  
'I' shot her a glare. 'Okay, but if this is a trap, I'm leaving!'  
  
**NIGHT**  
  
Everyone's snoozing filled the air. Pathetic whimpering.  
  
What?!  
  
What did I just say?! What's going on?!  
  
\Yugi, I'm surprised myself. . .\ Myst rolled around on her back. \You're not yourself today. . .\  
  
OF COURSE I'M MYSELF!!! HOW CAN I BE SOMEONE ELSE?!  
  
What in the world did I just SAY?!  
  
Myst wore a puzzled expression on her face. \Are you okay?\  
  
Of course, moron!  
  
I'm fine. . .  
  
Myst opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but she changed her mind and shook her head instead. "Just forget it."  
  
You can bet I'll forget. . .  
  
Maybe she had something important to say. . .  
  
I gave out a small sigh. What was happening to my thoughts?  
  
Oh, you'd be surprised little Yugi. . . very surprised. . .  
  
Huh?! Who are you?  
  
But the force seemed to shut its mindlink out. I gave a small whine. Feeling defeated, I rolled around and tiredly closed my eyes. Fighting an extremely powerful force was enough, but fighting yourself at the same time. . .  
  
**MORNING**  
  
"You say there's a problem with him?"  
  
"Yeah, he double-responds. . . I think there's a magic card in him. . ."  
  
I groggily opened my eyes. Leafe and Myst were leaning over me. "What's going on?" I yawned.  
  
=He's awake. . .=  
  
OF COURSE I AM!!!!!  
  
Yeah, I'm awake. . . what's going on?  
  
Leafe and Myst exchanged glances. I felt slightly afraid. What was going on inside of me? What magic card? I had control of my body, just not my mindlink that much. . . What card does that?  
  
Oh get on with it, buffoon!  
  
What's wrong with me?!  
  
Leafe sighed. "Stay still. I'm going to use a remedy."  
  
'No!' a force inside of me shouted at Leafe. It made me slip out my sword and swing at Leafe. He barely dodged it. I glared at him. Leafe slowly made a retreat.  
  
"Any idea what made him do THAT?" Leafe asked Myst.  
  
Myst approached me. "Yugi, what's wrong?"  
  
The force made me swing at Myst. This time, thanks to its incredible aim, it cut Myst's arm slightly. Myst gazed at me with a hurt expression before turning around and running towards the campsite center.  
  
"Okay, gig's up. What's wrong, Yugi?" Leafe asked, giving me a hard stare.  
  
'Oh, nothing Leafe, just your snoopy conscience,' the force sneered.  
  
Leafe gave me another glare. "Yugi, there's something wrong. . ." Leafe slowly turned around. "And believe me, I'll find out what it is."  
  
'Yeah right,' the force muttered under its breath.  
  
"GET OUT!" I yelled. Everyone stared at me.  
  
"Who?" Mai asked.  
  
My voice instantly turned snakelike. "Does it matter, idiot?"  
  
"Okay, Leafe and Myst both know there's something wrong with you. . ." Mai said slowly. She held something in her hand. "No use denying it. . ." she opened the bottle.  
  
'I' sneered. It seemed the force inside me didn't exactly prepare itself for what Mai did next.  
  
"DE-SPELL!" she shouted. The force made me wince and shield myself. However, the de-spell's effect still worked. (To my relief.)  
  
I could hear the spirit yelling and struggling in protest. It was extremely loud. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity of separating, a transparent form was drawn out from me.  
  
It was. . . familiar. It looked almost like the change of heart. But both its wings were pure black. In fact, it was dark all over. The only part of him that wasn't black or gray was his hair. It was a light blonde. His skin pulsed between a white and black.  
  
Leafe held the bottle of acid trap hole in front of him. "Okay, loser! Tell us what you are!"  
  
The thing smirked. "Such a strong guy, huh? Don't think you're the only one with power!" He went into Leafe. Leafe's eyes flashed for a moment.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" screamed Mai. She tossed the rest of the de-spell onto Leafe. The thing came out again.  
  
"Fine then, if you insist," it said sarcastically. It was creepy how it talked. It was such a deep tone, and you could feel the hatred. "I'm the change of thoughts, I used to be a slave change of heart until those scientists knocked brain control all over me. Happy?"  
  
"Far from," Leafe growled. "Exactly why bother us?"  
  
The Change of Thoughts leapt over Leafe. "Because you're just what I needed." The Change of Thoughts opened its dark wings and took off. "Before this war is over, my brothers will avenge us."  
  
He disappeared. "Us?" I asked, confused.  
  
"The others of that experiment, I guess," Myst replied uncertainly.  
  
"What if it was the same experiment as Crygif's?" Tea asked us.  
  
"Who?" Joey asked.  
  
"The cryptic griffon," Tea and I replied.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"It's more than a possibility," Tristen conferred.  
  
"But if it was brain control and change of heart, what happened to the lighter side?" I asked.  
  
"Who knows?" shrugged Leafe.  
  
I picked up my sword, which I dropped. "I have an idea. . ."  
  
**VISION**  
  
"Well?" Crygif boomed. Along with Change of Thoughts, there was a creature that looked like reborn the monster, only, instead of being a pure sky blue, it was a dark navy color. The third was the one that caught my eye. It was like a mystical elf! But instead of a golden peaceful aurora, it has a dark one. Its tiara's points were curved around like a serpent. The hair was a dark variation of red. The gown was a darker violet, and the skin was more gray then blue.  
  
"The kid's got de-spell," the change of thoughts grumbled.  
  
"I TOLD YOU THIS WAS A BAD IDEA!" the dark navy reborn screeched.  
  
The one that was close to a mystical elf scowled. "You agreed when we had a vote."  
  
"Enough bickering," Crygif boomed. "You know I can't wait much longer; they're dangerously close to headquarters, where our blue eyes, Kaiba, awaits with the young one!"  
  
We were close? A ray of hope shot through me.  
  
"So how do we get rid of them?" the mystical elf seethed.  
  
"I'm going this time. I'm going to eliminate them. I'll eliminate them all. Once they reach the city."  
  
"Great," the reborn mumbled.  
  
"And you three are coming," finished Crygif.  
  
**END VISION**  
  
I bolted right up, making Joey flinch at the sudden movement. "The Change of Thoughts, along with Crygif and two others, are going to ambush us at the next city!"  
  
"Which is. . .?" Tristen asked.  
  
"Mychist, if I'm not mistaken," Leafe informed them. "And then I can stock up on supplies."  
  
"Is that where your secret spy stuff is hidden?" Mai mocked.  
  
Leafe gave her a glare, but paused. "Actually, yes, it's there."  
  
"Good. Stock up on De-spells. We'll need them," I told them.  
  
It was noon when we finally reached Mychist. By now, Joey was complaining like crazy, (about his stomach) Tristen was complaining, (also about his hunger) and Leafe acted like every bush held a BEWD. I guess that's what happens after being betrayed and sneaked upon so many times. On top of that, we've lost two comrades, and I certainly hoped we wouldn't lose more.  
  
Mychist was a pretty large town, but it was slightly smaller than Billowy. It had a peaceful appearance. With the sun shining directly on it, it looked like a city in the clouds. Most of the city was painted a light sky blue.  
  
"Welcome to Mychist, my birthplace," Myst introduced.  
  
"Didn't you say Billowy was your hometown?" Joey asked.  
  
"Yes. I was born in Mychist and then we moved to Billowy. Actually, I live in Elentual now," explained Myst.  
  
Wait. . . wasn't the whole reason we cut through the woods. . .? "Didn't you say we needed to get to your village at the beginning of this trip?" I asked.  
  
"I was planning to go there, but then Leafe reported the chaos at Magic Village. That meant that Crygif's. . ."  
  
"Who?" asked Joey.  
  
Tea and I glared at him. "The cryptic griffon!"  
  
"Remember that next time," added Leafe.  
  
"Anyway, that meant that Crygif's army would attack Magic, not Elentual. So if they were attacking at all, they would attack Magic, since Leafe here is a trusty spy. That meant that we should hurry to Magic Village, not Elentual Village," finished Myst.  
  
Joey blinked. I ignored him and nodded. "So we battle here first. Then we go wherever Leafe tells us to."  
  
"At least someone has common sense," muttered Leafe.  
  
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" joked Mai.  
  
"Shut it!"  
  
Mychist was as mystical as it looked. Effect, fairy, and light-type monsters bustled about in the large city.  
  
"Anyone that lives here that we could stay with? I'm up for some foooooooood!" complained Joey.  
  
I rolled my eyes. "Joey, we have to live for the remainder of the trip off Myst's money."  
  
"Can't she use some now?!" Tristen begged.  
  
I sighed. "You two are hopeless."  
  
"Well, I'm kind of hungry myself," admitted Myst. "But I don't know this town all that well. I used to visit here to see my parents, but they passed away a few years ago. I haven't been here since."  
  
Leafe counted on his fingers. "No tour guide, little money, war approaching, no shelter, no food. . ."  
  
"Quit that!" snapped Mai.  
  
"Awww. . . Mai, aren't cha 'ungry?" Joey asked, giving Mai the puppy dog eyes treatment. Everyone except Joey and Mai groaned.  
  
"Fine then," Mai huffed.  
  
So Myst located a hotel, after a few minutes of wandering, and booked us in. Joey helped us finish our lunches. But no sooner did he finish the last bite, we heard a loud musical cry.  
  
The cry of Crygif.  
  
The battle has started.  
  
***************  
  
R Amythest: okay, so that might not be something that everyone expected, but if it were really Yugi's personality, this story would be realllllllyyyy short. . .  
  
Yami Amythest: what's with the screwy names?  
  
R Amythest: I needed a name for a town/city/village! Oh, and here:  
  
~~~~~~~Cards you Might Not Know~~~~~~~~~  
  
Name: Change of Thoughts  
  
Stats: made up, ultra rare  
  
Effect: Choose an opponent's card. If the opponent attacks using that card, you get to choose which monster it attacks. (you're allowed to choose one of your opponent's cards!)  
  
Effect in the story: Instead of the usual thoughts and mindlink control, Change of Thoughts gives partial control to the host, but changes their attitude greatly, causing lots of confusion. The host usually doesn't even know it's there.  
  
What it looks like: Well, it has two forms, but the second is revealed later in the story.  
  
Form One: Two dark demon wings, dark robe, light blonde hair, skin pulses between light and dark. Hazel eyes.  
  
~~~~  
  
R Amythest: dun, dun, dun!!!! You get to know the name (the name as in Myst for Mystical Elf and Leafe for Green Phantom King) of the Change of Thoughts next chapter! And you get to know the species of the dark Reborn the Monster next chapter, too!  
  
Yami Amythest: *sarcastically* yay. . .  
  
R Amythest: okay, pronunciation!  
  
~~~~~~Pronunciation Guide~~~~~~  
  
Okay, something I just remembered. . .  
  
(ch) is the c h sound in much  
  
  
  
Ceon is pronounced C-on  
  
Tips: it's easy enough, isn't it?  
  
Elentual is pronounced E-len-(ch)u-al  
  
Tips: none. . .  
  
Mychist is pronounced Mi-(ch)ist  
  
Tips: it's sort of close to mischief. . . sorta.  
  
Billowy is pronounced bill-O-wE  
  
Tips: just like the adjective. . .  
  
~~~~  
  
R Amythest: okay, now I caught up with myself.  
  
Ryou: *glomping R Amythest*  
  
R Amythest: um. . . Ryou, this is all very nice (really, it is!) but I need you to be with Harp in the next scene. . .  
  
Ryou: ^_^?  
  
R Amythest: because Yugi gets a vision!  
  
Ryou: ^_^. . .  
  
R Amythest: JUST BECAUSE!!!!! *wipes Love Spray onto Harp* There!  
  
Ryou: *comes out of trance* um. . . why am I glomping you?  
  
R Amythest: get ready for the next scene! Hurry up with it!  
  
Ryou: *sighs* okay. . .  
  
Yami Amythest: *comes in, sobbing*  
  
R Amythest: What NOW?  
  
Yami Amythest: *sniffle* YAMI BAKURA DUMPED ME!!!!!  
  
R Amythest: *muttering to self* I'm not half surprised.  
  
Yami Amythest: meanie. . . *goes into sceptre*  
  
R Amythest: That's the first time she did that without being asked. . . well, review! 


	16. In the Bushes Lurk an Old Foe

R Amythest: Thanks for getting me the Anti-Love spray and Ryou-Be-Mine *glomps Ryou*  
  
Mai: *shrugs* no prob. I did it for the shopping spree.  
  
R Amythest: oh.  
  
Mai: And I bought a mink coat! *giggles*  
  
R Amythest: oh. . .  
  
Mai: can you quit that? It's annoying.  
  
Harp: oh.  
  
Leafe: oh. *sticks tongue out*  
  
Yugi: guys. . . *rolls eyes* OH well.  
  
Shimmer: shouldn't we be on Mai's side? R Amythest's the one who's making us do this. . . and killed me. . . *glares at R Amythest*  
  
Everyone other than R Amythest and Yami Amythest: *glares at R Amythest*  
  
R Amythest: eh. . . I know! *Frantically rubs Harp's side, where she earlier wiped the love spray* Ta-da! *sticks hand for all guys to smell*  
  
Males: *droooooool*  
  
R Amythest: Now, anyone who dares to disobey me will have to face my unbeatable gang of drooling fanboys! WAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! *glomps Ryou*  
  
Females: *gulp*  
  
Yami Amythest: *whispering to Mai* I think she's had too much chocolate. . .  
  
R Amythest: BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! LET THE FIC CONTINUE!  
  
*******Chapter Sixteen: In the Bushes Lurk an Old Foe*******  
  
The cry of Crygif only lasted a matter of seconds before he fired a swirling orb of power. The restaurant my friends and I were in started crumbling, and we were among those frantically trying to get out.  
  
I squeezed out of the door and whirled around to face Crygif, holding my sword in front of me. "SWORD OF SILE- mmph!"  
  
Myst was trying to prevent me from saying it. I struggled with her grip.  
  
What are you doing?!  
  
\Only counter! Don't do unnecessary damage to my birthplace!\  
  
I stopped thrashing. Oh  
  
Crygif started to form another orb.  
  
"Now you can attack," said Myst hastily, hiding behind me.  
  
"SWORD OF SILENCE, STIRKE!" I yelled, firing my dark ray as soon as Crygif fired his. Our rays met, and skyscrapers tumbled. The two beams fought for area.  
  
[Now you three, attack!] I picked up a mental command. It seemed to be Crygif's! I saw three figures fly from behind them, but they moved too quickly to be seen. A familiar feeling took over me. . .  
  
Crygif! I've got the Yugi guy!  
  
[Well done, Chance.]  
  
I felt myself let go of the sword. It clattered to the ground.  
  
The beam sped toward me quickly. Isn't the change of thoughts going to get blasted, too?  
  
It seemed that 'Chance' had experience in the matter. He quickly flew out of my body just as the beam was about the hit me. I froze in terror at the approaching stream of light. It was then something slammed into me, not from Crygif's direction, but from the side. I winced at the dull pain at my side, but still thankful. I opened my eyes to see Joey panting for breath.  
  
Thanks, Joey. . .  
  
/Eh, no prob' Yug'/  
  
Crygif closed his mouth and the beam stopped. "Yug'? I think he's aiming," Joey panicked.  
  
I grabbed my sword and blasted, using a mental command. SWORD OF SILENCE, STRIKE! The sword emitted a large beam, and Crygif, not having enough time to retaliate, flapped his wings and flew, avoiding my beam. (Which hit a skyscraper. It tumbled.)  
  
Crygif landed and shot a beam. I responded with another blast with my sword.  
  
"Joey. . . quick, help me out here by blasting Crygif!" I managed to gasp.  
  
"Wh-"  
  
Joey didn't have time to finish his response as Crygif dodged my beam and fired his at Joey. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!" Joey screamed. /AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!/  
  
Beyond his painful wailing, I could hear hushed mental whispering.  
  
@Crygif, my power's almost out. If they bombard us, I'm not going to be able to heal ourselves. . .@  
  
[Fine then]  
  
Crygif took off into the air. "Next time when we meet, I won't be so merciful!" Crygif turned himself, underside towards us, and flapped his powerful wings. A powerful wind whipped up, and I held on to Joey's still form in fear of being blown away. The wind picked us all up, and threw us across the horizon. I let go of Joey for a split second, but I deeply regretted it as his body was hurtled against me, knocking me out. . .  
  
I awoke, and there was a sharp pain on my right arm. My head felt heavy as I hoisted myself up onto my left arm. My right hand had a deep cut in it, and the blood had leaked onto the grass. Obviously, I had been out for a long time, because the sun was setting, and the red liquid was already dry. Taking a look, it was starting to get infected. Cursing mentally, I wrapped it with a piece of cloth I had in my pouch.  
  
Joey was sprawled to my side, still unmoving. I was surprised the blast didn't kill him. Looking around us, I realized that Crygif's wind blew us apart-again. Where, I had no idea. And I feared for the worst. I felt the weak activation of my sword. I guess most of its power was used up. I hoped it had enough to give me a vision. . .  
  
**VISION**  
  
Four figures. That was all I was able to make out.  
  
"Chance. . . Thoughts. . . Aurora. . . -member?" a navy blue figure said. I heard static in between, like a broken phone.  
  
"Yeah. . . Crygif. . . Red. . . Dragon. . . do. . . this?" a black-and-red- and-golden figure replied.  
  
The figure on the wall squirmed. "If. . . go. . . brother. . . get. . . you. . . big. . . -ue eyes wh-. . . Seto!"  
  
I guessed the figure on the wall was Mokuba. I think he was threatening to sic his brother on them.  
  
"Oh. . . time. . . kill. . ." the last figure, blue-and-black, smirked. It unsheathed something shiny. Mokuba gasped as the thing neared his throat. . .  
  
**VISION END**  
  
My sword stopped glowing. The power was used up dry. I sighed. There was always another time. I picked it up and slid it into its scabbard. I started to examine Joey. It didn't seem like he took too much of the blow. He was still breathing and his heart was still breathing, and it didn't seem like he had a concussion. I spotted his sword a few yards away. Leaving him, I went to retrieve it. When I got back, Joey was looking around, confused.  
  
"Where am I? Last thing I remember was trippin' on some rocks," said a confused Joey. "And what happened to your arm?"  
  
I guess he only remembered before he had amnesia. I sighed. "That was a few days ago. You really mean to say you forgot everything in between?" Joey nodded. "Okay. . . After you supposedly tripped, you were knocked unconscious and Mai saved you, causing a forest fire in the meanwhile. Leafe put out the huge fire. I went to get some rocks to make a 'controlled fire.' After that, Leafe used liquid fire and we got you warmed up. Then you awoke. You sure you don't remember anything?" Joey thought for a while.  
  
"I think I remember pillow fightin' and runnin' away from those anga's of silences," he replied.  
  
"You remember Ellie getting killed and Shimmer burning up?" I asked, stiffening at the memory. Joey nodded.  
  
"Yep, I think I rememba'."  
  
"And the battle where you basically saved me?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Okay, so you got knocked unconscious from Crygif's blow (How in the world did you survive that?) and he used one of his wind powers to blow us apart. I think I fell on my arm. I'm stuck with you."  
  
"Stuck with?! Be lucky you have a companion!"  
  
"Hey, I'm just kidding."  
  
Joey rolled his eyes. "Whateva ya say, Yug'."  
  
I grinned. "Well, we might as well try to find the others."  
  
"Can't ya use yer sword?" Joey complained.  
  
"Nope. Energy-dry," I confirmed.  
  
"D*mn," Joey swore.  
  
"Profanity," I mumbled. "Watch it."  
  
"You're the only one around to hear it. It's not like our nosy English teacha' is out in the world o' duel monstas'."  
  
"Anyway, let's move it," I commanded. I started marching in a random direction.  
  
"Um. . . Yug', do you have any idea where you're going?" Joey asked behind me.  
  
I stopped. "Actually, no." Joey shouted a string of curses.  
  
**NIGHT**  
  
Darkness had long since fallen, and Joey was complaining about his stomach. (As usual.) I was hoping that the sword would soon recharge, but so far, nothing. I finally agreed with Joey to set up camp.  
  
Joey was more than eager to run off in a random direction, pulling me with him, in search of firewood. Despite my warnings not to go too far away from camp, we eventually got lost. My luck stinks.  
  
Unfortunately, it was my last fold-up tent and I didn't have a single spell with me. Joey offered to just burn up a bush, but I declined the offer, remembering the incident with Mai.  
  
My hand by now was aching like there was no tomorrow. I should've paid more attention in health class. I think I should've paid more attention in biology, too, when they discussed natural herbs.  
  
Joey seemed to sense my thoughts. /Biology wouldn't help. These plants aren't the ones home in Japan./  
  
Oh yeah. In that case, I wish I bought that can of Goblin's Secret Remedy.  
  
Somewhere near us, a bush rustled. I gave a yelp and fell on top of Joey. Disgusted, he gave me a shove off.  
  
"Did. . . did you hear that?" I gulped.  
  
"Yeah," Joey mumbled, "probably some goon of Crygif's."  
  
Joey held up his sword, and I did the same. "Come out, whoever you are!" I shouted.  
  
"Yeah! Or I'll have to set the forest on fire!" Joey agreed.  
  
"You guys get weirder every time I meet you," chuckled an eerie voice. Out of the bushes came. . . Penele!  
  
*************  
  
R Amythest: SOOOOO SORRY FOR THE SLOW UPDATE!!! *bow* *bow*  
  
Alayea, Excalibur, and Sailor Millennium: *sweatdrop*  
  
R Amythest: But be sure to read my other fic, 'The True Heart of the Dice!' If you like weird pairings, go check out Tea/Ryouji!  
  
Reviewers: *More sweatdrops*  
  
R Amythest: Ahem. . . Oh, and there *will* be a small prize for the top three reviewers. So far, they are in the order: Alayea, Excalibur, and Sparky16. Spark16 stopped reviewing, so at this rate, I think Sailor Millennium will be third.  
  
Alayea, Excalibur, and Sailor Millennium: *cheers*  
  
R Amythest: oh, and the reviewers saved Yugi, here, from a lot of torment.  
  
Yugi: whew.  
  
R Amythest: by voting for Yugi, you saved him, and endangered Myst.  
  
Myst: nooooo!!!!  
  
R Amythest: heh. That's the way life goes. Until next chapter! REVIEW! 


	17. The Way to Love

R Amythest: Yami, you can come out now. . . she's gone. . .  
  
Yami Amythest: YES! *bursts out of cabinet*  
  
R Amythest: I gave Sub-Conscience to Twill, so you can stop worrying and help me with the chapter!  
  
Yami Amythest: *sarcastic* hooray.  
  
A person who hasn't read 'The True Heart of the Dice' or its author's notes: who?  
  
R Amythest: oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. Sub-conscience is a little pixie that looks like Kirby on wings. All she says is 'Squee' 'Squir' or something close to that, and is a master annoyer. I gave her to Twill and Yams in their story, "Through the Glass Window" through the review, so now I got rid of her!  
  
Yami Amythest: *shudders*  
  
R Amythest: Oh, and I found something in a catalog. Hey Ryou!  
  
Ryou: *nervously* yes, authoress?  
  
R Amythest: *hands him a bouquet of white roses* =^_^=  
  
Ryou: O.O thanks, I guess. . .  
  
COH Ryou: why white?  
  
R Amythest: This was in a Kroger's catalog for roses!  
  
Pink: Grace and Gentility; Appreciation and Gratitude (gives to Serenity)  
  
White: Innocence and Purity; Secrecy and Silence (exactly Ryou's description. Coincidental, ne?)  
  
Red: Love and Respect; Beauty and Youth (Sounds more like a girl thing than a boy thing. Probably Mai.)  
  
Yellow: Friendship; Gladness and Joy (hands to Tea)  
  
Peach: Enthusiasm and Desire (Gives to Joey)  
  
*brushes hands* there! Valentine's deliveries done! Of course, anyone out there can give roses or chocolates to their favorite Bishie! (Yes, Excalibur, that can mean a girl, too. At least I think you're a male, with your fics and interests. . . I think I'm pretty good at gender decoding)  
  
Yami Amythest: scary. *hands Yami Yugi peach-colored roses* let's get on with the fic.  
  
*********************Chapter Seventeen: The Way to Love********************  
  
Joey took a stride back and held his sword at Penele threatenally. He looked tough, but knowing him, he was probably quivering on the inside. "Whaddya want this time?" he growled.  
  
Penele sighed, flicking a lock of golden hair back. The angel half flickered momentarily. "Still following the good-bad basis and forgetting about the big gray part in between?"  
  
Joey lowered his sword slightly. "Wha-?"  
  
"Listen, I'm not against you," she explained, smoothing out the angel wing.  
  
I brightened a bit. "So you're going to help us?"  
  
She scowled. "What have I told you earlier? I'm not with either side. I'm staying neutral." With that, she left.  
  
"Wait. . . then why have you met us?" I asked. Penele stopped and looked reflective for a moment.  
  
"I. . . I saw how you got such pleasure from love," she began, "with that Mystical Elf. . ." Joey and I nodded. "And. . . that look on the Green Phantom King's face when the little angel creature burned. . ."  
  
Joey glared at her. "Yeah, you got a problem with your own doing?"  
  
"Yes. . . as I worked for Crygif. . ."  
  
"And caused mass destruction. . ."  
  
"Joey!" I grumbled, amazed at my friend's rudeness.  
  
Penele continued anyway. "I saw his three brother and sisters. . . and I found one of them. . . attractive."  
  
"Whew! Hot babe in love with a mad griffon!" Joey blared.  
  
"Joey!!!!!!!!!" Penele and I shouted at the same time. She continued. "Well. . . in the beginning I first helped Crygif because of my belief of the evilness in this world. . . the very destruction of the true world, as I saw it, was a relief. That was then, when I saw there was no meaning in life. But shortly after I enrolled, I saw one. Love."  
  
"Eh. . . you're in love with-"  
  
I muttered and covered Joey's mouth. "Shut, please?"  
  
"Well. . . actually, no. . . I adored the Change of Thoughts, Chance. . ." she explained, blushing slightly. "Yet. . . he never noticed me. I would catch him staring at a picture of some weird creature on the wall. . . I think he already likes someone. . ."  
  
"So you left because of that?" I asked quietly.  
  
"No. . . I left because I finally found a meaning in life," she said softly. "But I. . . just can't fight against them, you know? I know Chance probably isn't going to know I exist. . . but I don't want to fight against them."  
  
I nodded. "I understand perfectly. . ."  
  
"But still. . .how do you love?"  
  
Joey seemed appalled at the question. "How do you LOVE?!" Penele suddenly seemed interested in her dress, twirling the long sleeves around her finger.  
  
"JOSEPH!" I growled. "Can't you see? She needs to know something that she doesn't know yet! Like when I taught you duel monsters!" Joey muttered and put on his brand-name poker face. "Well. . . it's quite simple, really. . ." I trailed off. Penele nodded and Joey nudged me on. "You. . . just open your heart. . . I can't really explain it, really. . ." I blushed.  
  
Penele seemed relieved. "No strings attached?"  
  
"Well," I hesitated, "they might not return it, but it's really worth the gamble. . ."  
  
Penele seemed slightly baffled. "Well . . I guess I shouldn't be that offensive to everyone. . . but I still don't understand it. Someday, Yugi, someday I'll understand. And then. . . I'll return. But for now. . ." she turned around and opened her wings. She closed her eyes and muttered a spell, disappearing into a puff of scarlet.  
  
Joey seemed to remember something before cringing slightly, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. "That reminds me. . . where's Mai and the others?"  
  
My sword emitted a soft glow. "I think. . . it's recharged," I said happily.  
  
"Great! So let's go see where Mai is!"  
  
"But. . . there are so many things to see. . . Mokuba's fate it showed me earlier. . . Harp and Bakura's fate over in the prison. . . the group we're separated from. . ." I trailed off, wincing at the remembrance of Myst. . . and the thought of how severe an injury might be. The rush of adrenaline and tears increased the thudding heartbeat seeming to come from the gash on my arm. "I. . . need to find Myst," I told both Joey and the sword. Then I blacked out.  
  
**VISION**  
  
Thank god, Myst was alright.  
  
In closer inspection, not everyone was okay. But. . . there was also good news. Confusing?  
  
I drew closer and I saw that they picked up an old friend- Relene obviously joined them. And it appears Relene brought back Shimmer. (It made me wonder why she didn't bring back Ellie.) She was currently trying to hold Leafe in place. I wondered if Leafe had Agateophobia, the extreme fear of pain. Relene was obviously trying to tell him to hold still. It was an amusing sight, seeing the noble and haughty spy go berserk, but I was going to observe the creature of my desiring.  
  
Myst was humming by the creek, washing a few garments. Shimmer was floating above her, drying them out by twirling in the air. "I like his hair basically, and he's really nice," Myst was saying. Shimmer set down the robe (apparently Leafe's) and picked up what appeared to be Relene's light blue dress.  
  
"Well, I personally like my lil bish's cool and collected personality, and I love those piercing red eyes!" Shimmer squealed. They sounded like they were flirting. Wait. . . Myst said that about ME? I plopped down beside her and rested my invisible head on her shoulder, sighing deeply. I felt her warm body rubbing against my head. . . It was so relaxing. But I knew I couldn't doze here forever. Rather reluctantly, I left her side and get out of the scene.  
  
**VISION END**  
  
Joey peered over me. "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell?"  
  
"Myst and Leafe are okay. And Relene, a reborn the monster, joined them, so now Shimmer's back, too!" I replied happily.  
  
"GET MAI!" he cheered.  
  
"Oh, fine. . ."  
  
**VISION**  
  
Mai, Tea, and Tristen were walking along in the woods. Hey, sounds a lot like our predictament. . . hey, isn't that OUR campground?! I quickly exited.  
  
**VISION END**  
  
"Joey! Mai, Tea, and Tristen are in the same woods as us!" I cheered. Joey looked extremely relieved and raised his fist in the air.  
  
"Yeah! Let's go find 'em!"  
  
. . . It was easier said than done, like many other things. The sword helped us in the beginning, guiding us through the thick woods. We soon saw the dim campfire. But. . . then I remembered something else I really wanted to know.  
  
"Joey. . . is it okay if I use the rest of the power to check on Harp and Bakura?" I asked.  
  
Joey shrugged. "The campsite's in sight. I guess you can."  
  
I smiled appreciatively and focused my power on the sword. Harp, WingWeaver. . . Bakura, Change of Heart. . .  
  
But. . . there was no vision. The sword glowed, but all I got was a bunch of static. I was puzzled. . . maybe they were apart? But that's the whole reason Harp went!  
  
/Wha. . .?/  
  
er. . . I'll get back to you Joey. I cleared my mind of all thoughts but one. Harp, WingWeaver  
  
**VISION**  
  
Harp shielded herself from a large explosion. Diving in, I saw that creature that resembled a Mystical Elf had created a large, dark bubble around her. A blue eyes in the corner, evidently Kaiba, screeched in pain. "Fool," the creature smirked, "don't try attacking my race unless you want to be stoned. Literally."  
  
Kaiba couldn't reply. He was frozen to the spot. Harp gasped as the creature nodded to the other one that resembled a Reborn the Monster. "Go and attack, Recarn."  
  
"Certainly," the Reborn the Monster-like creature, Recarn, stepped up. The room grew dark as a troop of zombie-like creatures rose. A zombie metal fish attacked Kaiba, leaving only a small scratch. But he instantly unfroze. Giving a roar, he flew off, Harp gripping on to his tail, and the bloody body of Mokuba lying limply on the floor.  
  
**END VISION**  
  
I shuddered inwardly, remembering the look of pure remorse on the Mystical- Elf-like creature. "Joey, bad, bad, bad news. . ."  
  
"Shhh," he whispered back. "It's the wrong campground. We obviously got the wrong campground. We should've followed it some more. . ."  
  
"Then who's is it?"  
  
Joey pursed his lips. "None other than the Summon Skull's."  
  
(AN: I seriously wanted to leave it off there, but I just remembered a certain birthday girl hated cliffies. So I'll be nice.)  
  
My eyes widened. "Seriously?"  
  
"Yep. . . and listen, I'm eavesdropping. Wanna join me?" There was an adventurous glint in his eyes.  
  
I shrugged. "Sure." Our attention turned back to the skulls. They were enjoying roasted marshmallows, like any old camping kid. They were chatting gleefully.  
  
"Yep, another one resorting to suicide!" one laughed.  
  
"Not funny," a different one mumbled. "Suicide is just sick."  
  
"Ah, you're just always sensitive," a third jeered.  
  
We looked at each other. Who were they talking about?  
  
"Yeah, and don't forget, he's the one who told hold of you," the first reminded him.  
  
Took control? Summon Skull? SUICIDE? Could it be. . . Bakura?  
  
"He's right Revlon! You're too sympathetic for your own good!" a fourth chimed in.  
  
The second, Revlon, shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'm going to take a walk." I nearly stopped breathing as he headed in my general direction. Joey was trying to minimize himself, and with good reason, too. Revlon evidently saw us. "Hey, guys. . . guess who decided to visit?"  
  
(AN: I almost wanted to stop there. . . but I decided not to be evil to one of my best penpals!)  
  
"Who?" the fourth skull asked, curious. The rest of them were equally curious, and I watched them close in on us. . . I started to hyperventilate and my eyes widened in fear as the looming skull towered over me. I could smell the bloody scent of his breath. "Hey, he's right, there are some familiar faces here. . ." I squealed before fainting. . .right into a vision.  
  
**VISION**  
  
Harp was dragged into the prison. "Lemme see Ryou!" she squirmed.  
  
"Ah, just let her have a look. It won't really hurt anything," the witty phantom sneered. She was roughly shoved into the same cell as Ryou. She fell on her knees right in front of him. I hovered a bit closer to have a clear look of them. Harp was a bit dustier than when I last saw her. And her golden dress had lost the sheen that it had when I last saw her. Getting even closer, her eyes looked almost. . . dull.  
  
But that was nothing compared to Ryou. He was paler than ever. To say the least. . . he lost weight. A lot of it.  
  
And now, they were (doing their best to their ability while having their hands handcuffed) embracing. It was seriously depressing. . . was this sword trying to discourage me? Hmm? But what's this?  
  
~Ryou, quickly. . .~ I leaned closer and saw that Harp was using her teeth to unlock Ryou's cuffs. ~Use your free hand to undo my locks! A dagger's on my belt!~ Ryou took out the dagger and inserted the tip into the lock. Harp, in turn, took the dagger and unlocked Ryou's other handcuff. He massaged his sore wrists. {Thanks. . .} ~Wait, what's that?~ She grabbed Ryou's wrist and brushed the dress down, revealing a series of scars.  
  
"And exactly what is taking you so LONG?" the witty phantom complained. Ryou stood up behind Harp, who turned around and gave him a glare.  
  
"We're not obeying orders!" Harp shouted, standing up alongside him.  
  
"Really?" the witty phantom smirked. Ryou quickly took hold of the Witty Phantom. Its eyes rolled up deep into its head.  
  
"Quickly! Leave!" Ryou croaked. Harp shook her head.  
  
"You've got enough of prison life. I'm staying here now."  
  
His grip on the body loosened, and they became two different images. The witty phantom had his usual smirk on again. ~Go, Ryou. . . He'll be busy with me! You leave!~  
  
Ryou seemed to hesitate. {You sure?}  
  
~Yes! You go! You're pretty much dying on the inside! GET AWAY!~ "So, where ya going to put me?" Harp asked demandingly, giving a small nod at Ryou. He ran.  
  
**VISION END**  
  
When I gained consciousness again, Joey and I were being dragged along the trail. My bottom seriously hurt. The Summon Skulls stopped for a moment and cast a glance at me. "You're the friend of that Change of Heart freak, huh?"  
  
I shot him a venomous glare. "Yeeeeeees. . ." Although my conscience was shouting "My friends are NOT freaks!"  
  
The Summon Skull chuckled. "Freaky," he smirked, as if he could read my mind. Joey spat at his feet, and the disgusted skull cuffed him on the head, then gave him a kick in the side. "If this were ancient times, you'd have your tongue cut off for that."  
  
I gave him another glare, but stayed silent. So far, nothing good has come out of talking back.  
  
*********************  
  
R Amythest: I don't know WHAT the heck I'm doing with all this Ryou drama(yay! CUTE!). . . but I need some of it to prepare for the sequel. And the Penele part was important, too.  
  
Yami Amythest: yuh huh.  
  
R Amythest: this chapter is dedicated to Sailor Millennium! Yes, her birthday was on 2/10, when I updated it! Along with her twin's! I updated this for her! (yes, she is the mentioned penpal and birthday girl!) I hope you like it!  
  
Ryou: *rolls eyes* she made me go with you on dates around 50 times. . .  
  
R Amythest: *clears throat* I'm holding a mini contest for a drawing of Crygif. Be sure to draw him not-too-vice but kinda-evil-lookin' and have a cool background from part of this story. Prizes may vary, I'm still deciding. So. . .  
  
  
  
Current Top Three:  
  
Alayea  
  
Excalibur  
  
Sailor Millennium  
  
Runner Up: (yes, I will have *SMALL* prizes for the next two)  
  
Sparky16  
  
Evil-Kitty (my other penpal! Alayea's one, too. . . I have too many, no?)  
  
But I will give a bit of credit to everyone else, too! It'll be the last chapter, where I thank all the nice reviewers! SO REVIEW ALREADY! 


	18. Oblivion

R Amythest: well, I lost the floppy disk for this story, so now I have to re-type half 'o' this chapter on the comp. . so no author's notes. . .  
  
****************************Chapter Eighteen: Oblivion***************************  
  
I closed my eyes, gritting my teeth and resisting the grinding of the rocks below me. Joey was beside me, groaning and whimpering occasionally. I sighed, the pain really hasn't subsided any. The forest looked the same all around us, and it wasn't any use denying the inevitable- we were going to the prison. I yelped, a particularly large rock going under my leg. I didn't know how much longer I could take this treatment. Well, Harp and Bakura lived through this. . . I should be able to, too. I sighed.  
  
/Harp an' 'kura are different from us. . ./  
  
How, in the fact that they're more durable?  
  
/Yug', quite being pessimistic. . ./  
  
ME pessimistic?! You're the one that said they're different. . .  
  
/. . . I'm going to sleep./  
  
Good luck.  
  
I seriously couldn't see how he could sleep. I grumbled and tried to close my eyes, but a jolt quickly caused my eyes to widen like saucers again. A few minutes later, I gave up on trying to sleep and looked over at Joey. He managed to sleep, somehow. I sighed and closed my eyes again, finally tired enough to doze.  
  
I was rudely interrupted by a shout. "WHAT THE HECK'S GOIN' ON HERE?!" a Summon Skull yelled. Revlon dropped us, and I could see his hand quiver.  
  
"But. . . you were at the prison!"  
  
There, with a silver radiance, was Bakura.  
  
He quickly possessed a Summon Skull and attacked another one. This seemed to wear both down, however. I unsheathed my sword and held it in front of me. "Sword of Silence, strike!" I mumbled. My sword flickered, emitted some static, then dulled. "Just the time to run out of charge!" I grumbled. I re- sheathed it and had a minor brainstorm. With the sword, I could easily destroy them all. But without, I have an attack of 2500, and that's the same as the skulls. Then we'd both be weary. . .  
  
"UMPH!" I groaned as searing pain filled my chest like needles. I glanced up and saw a Summon Skull creating another electric sphere. I struggled to get up, and staggered on one leg before being struck down again by the new energy ball. I yelped and collapsed, my vision blurry.  
  
/{YUGI!}/  
  
I'm fine! Move it! You can't stand a single attack, Joey, with your attack being 1800. . . My body rolled across the ground and I coughed as another orb hit me. And I'm sure they have de-spell. . .  
  
/But Yug', you can't last. . ./  
  
I cried out in pain.  
  
{. . .all that long! You could be seriously injured!}  
  
I winced as my injured arm roughly scraped against the ground. But you two should also focus on getting away, and not getting hit yourself!  
  
I was deaf for a moment, but I could see Joey and Bakura have a brief conversation. I curled into a ball, and briefly wondered if the attacking skull also felt pain. I whimpered and put a hand on my sword. Please. . . save my friends, if not all. . . It glowed a brilliant scarlet, as it emitted a bright light.  
  
"What the. . ." a Summon Skull gasped. Revlon made a few hasty steps back, before noticing Bakura frozen in a skull. My vision was blurry, but I could briefly see Revlon grab Bakura and push him aside before the light engulfed them all. . .  
  
**LATER**  
  
The first thing I noticed was pain.  
  
I was painfully resting on my left arm, the one with the gash, and my chest and various parts of my leg were throbbing. My head also was intensely sore. I groaned and put my right hand on my forehead. I glanced over at the Skulls, or where they were. There was, instead, three blackish hearts, and one gray one.  
  
"Yugi? You awake?" I heard a soft voice beside me say. I was touched gently on my injured arm, and I jerked away. I spun around to face Bakura, who quickly withdrew his hand. "Sorry, but I had some Goblin's Secret Remedy, and I thought you might want some. . ." I sighed in relief.  
  
"Yes, that would be nice. Thanks," I said, taking off that piece of armor. He fidgeted. "No, don't worry, I have garments underneath." Bakura visibly relaxed. I put the armor aside, and he scooted closer. He took out a bottle, and removed a large, green leaf with an oozy, but sparkly, liquid. I held out my arm in order to make things easier, and he placed it over the wound and wrapped it back up, with the leaf and ooze inside.  
  
"It makes it feel better, and there's a much lower chance of infection," he told me, "it's quite effective." I nodded, when I remembered the events of the past day.  
  
"What was it that the Summon Skull did to you?" I asked. He flinched and looked over at the hearts.  
  
"Well. . . I was gazing into your attack, thinking. . . and frozen, and then the Summon Skull called Revlon grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the skull. . . and what I really think was inspiring," he lifted his head now to the sky, and I could see the faint glistening in his eyes, "was what he said. . ."  
  
"And that was. . .?"  
  
"He shouted to me, 'of all philosophy, the will to live and go on is the top.' Then he pushed me out of the crowd and braced himself. . . And I think that's what qualified him to have a gray heart instead of black," he said, nodding to the four hearts.  
  
I cocked my head, wondering why that phrase meant so much to him. Then I remembered. . .  
  
**FLASHBACK**  
  
"Yep, another one resorting to suicide!" one Summon Skull laughed.  
  
"Not funny," Revlon mumbled. "Suicide is just sick."  
  
"Ah, you're just always sensitive," a third jeered.  
  
Joey and I looked at each other. Who were they talking about?  
  
"Yeah, and don't forget, he's the one who told hold of you," the first reminded him.  
  
Took control? Summon Skull? SUICIDE? Could it be. . . Bakura?  
  
"He's right Revlon! You're too sympathetic for your own good!" a fourth chimed in.  
  
Revlon shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'm going to take a walk."  
  
**END FLASHBACK**  
  
"Are you suicidal?" I blurted out, causing him to jerk his head towards me, startled, his eyes wide. I could see him blushing nervously, lowering his head slightly. "Sorry," I said, quietly this time, "none of my business. . ."  
  
"No, it's okay," I could hear him croak, "about time SOMEONE knew. . ." I swallowed the lump in my throat, this really wasn't the position I like to be in with my friends. . . Bakura always was the shy one. . .  
  
Great, have him treat you and reveal something to you, then damage the friendship. . . just great. . . I scootched over and gently tried to catch view of his face. He sniffled, then sighed and turned around. "Wanna wake Joey?" he asked, trying to put some enthusiasm in his voice (though I could tell he was trying to change the subject, that I was glad for.)  
  
"You really want to? It's usually pretty hard, him being a pig and all. . ." I joked, relieved to see Bakura's eyes sparkle again. [1]  
  
"Well. . . either that or stay here. . ." I heard his stomach rumble, and he gave a carefree laugh. "And I admit it, I'm hungry. We can't just leave him here, right?" I nodded. Oooooooooooh Jooooooooooooooooey. . .  
  
/Zzz. . ./  
  
{Joey?}  
  
/Zzz. . . Momma?/ Bakura sweatdropped. "Mommy?" he mouthed. I giggled.  
  
{I'm not your mom. . .}  
  
/Zzzzzzzzzzzzz. . ./  
  
WAKE UP!  
  
/Zzz. . . move the truck over just a little to the right. . . mm, pizza. . ./  
  
I sweatdropped and went over to him. Deciding on what needed to be done, I took out my sword, and Bakura's eyes widened. Don't worry, it's not what you think. I brought my sword by Joey's stomach, poked him twice, and yelled, "CRYYYYYYGIF!!!!!!"  
  
Joey gave a loud "ARRRRRRRRRRRRGH!" And rolled over, his chest heaving and sword held in a possessive stance. I ducked behind Bakura and giggled, avoiding Joey's glare.  
  
"Y'know, that wasn't very nice," Bakura started.  
  
"I agree," Joey muttered.  
  
"You were sleeping like my foot was a few minutes ago!" I complained. "And you thought Bakura was your mom!"  
  
He gaped at me. "Uh. . . thanks, I guess."  
  
"Shouldn't we be getting some food?" Bakura asked timidly.  
  
"YEEEEEAH!" Joey agreed.  
  
"Two against one. . . I'm not one to oppose," I sighed. "But I'm in charge! Whatever you gather, you eat! Meaning, Joey, Bakura and I are NOT going to get food for you to eat!" Joey grumbled.  
  
"Sounds good," Bakura agreed.  
  
"I'm not good at finding stuff!" Joey complained. "I'll die of starvation!"  
  
"No you won't," I snapped, "you're just lazy most of the time."  
  
"Hey, I've got a high metabolism!" he defended.  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bakura sigh and lean back against a tree. It never really occurred to me before how much he's been like this. "Listen, I'll argue later, but for now, you're not the only one who's hungry." I gave a wave in Bakura's direction.  
  
"Ah. . . okay. C'mon 'kura! LET'S EAT!"  
  
I sighed. "Leave a trail of something so you can come back here. I'll be waiting." They both nodded before taking off. I wasn't really hungry, more like tired. I leaned against a tree and stretched, noticing the dark gray clouds for the first time. I stopped what I was doing and gazed at the clouds. Sh*t, I hope they aren't cumulonimbus. . .  
  
A crash and a steady rhythm against the tree leaves answered my question. They were. Joey! Bakura! Are ya there?  
  
/AGH! RAIN! COLD! WET!!!!!!!!!!!!!/  
  
{We're here we're just-} his reply was cut off abruptly.  
  
Bakura? Bakura!  
  
/He slipped, tha's all. . ./  
  
Oh. . .  
  
/Wait. . . uh, Yug', did you pay attention in Health?/  
  
Yeah, why? Actually, I slept half of the time. . . ask Bakura. He's always attentive.  
  
/There's a problem with tha' I won't discuss. . . but. . . what do you do to an unconscious person?/  
  
YOU CALL THAT 'THAT'S ALL?!'  
  
/Eh heh, heh, heh. . ./  
  
I slumped against the tree. Well, first, make sure he's breathing. . . and his heart's beating. . .  
  
/Check. . ./  
  
Then feel to see if he's cold or anything like that. . .  
  
/Cold?! Heck, yeah!/  
  
Use your brain, Joseph! Warm him up!  
  
/. . . it's rainin', Yug./  
  
Wow. I can tell. I replied sarcastically.  
  
/Two words: soaked cloth./  
  
It suddenly dawned on me what needed to be done. Joey seemed to sense my thoughts. /WWWWWWWHHHHHHAAAAAAATTTTT?/[2]  
  
. . . last resort. Picture THIS.  
  
**MINDLINK**  
  
Funeral. The sign reads, "Ryou Bakura, born September 2nd 1987, died February 26th, 2003."  
  
The priest comes up. You fall asleep through half of it, but instantly wake up at the phrase, "died of unknown causes," and then. . . you remember. . .  
  
No, not unknown. Of the cold, and could've been prevented.  
  
**END MINDLINK**  
  
/. . ./  
  
Well?  
  
/. . . I get your point. Fine. BUT GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE!/  
  
Okay. . . if my sword's charged. I slid it out and thought, Joey Wheeler, Flaming Swordsman. To my delight, it went out of my hand and pointed. It started moving along, and I followed it. It WAS cold, though.  
  
/. . . after they're warm?/  
  
Um. . . normally, you put a cool cloth on their forehead, but right now, I think it's cold enough. . .  
  
/Uh huh./  
  
I turned a corner and realized that it WAS quite slippery.  
  
/Yug', he's kinda chokin', and it seems he can't really breathe well. . ./  
  
CPR!  
  
/What?!/  
  
Okay, you put your mouth on his. . . I skidded around another corner and followed my sword, hoping I wasn't far.  
  
/WHAT?!/  
  
Then you lift his chin and pinch his nose and exhale for 5 seconds. . .  
  
/YUGI!!!!!!!!!/  
  
You want to be the cause of his death?!  
  
/. . ./  
  
Then do it until I arrive, see what's wrong, and get Relene!  
  
/Ugh. . . okay. . . Just get Relene, you KNOW what's wrong./  
  
Fine. Relene, Reborn the Monster. My sword turned around and I followed it. I wondered how much more the sword could continue to lead me, when it runs out of energy. I slipped and I yelped as I fell face-down into the mud.  
  
"Yugi! Are you okay?" I heard a sympathetic voice say. I rubbed the sandy and uncomfortable grit out of my eyes.  
  
"Myst?"  
  
"Yes, it's me. What are you doing here?!"  
  
"Looking for Relene. . ."  
  
"Me?" I heard her say. "What for? Oh, the gash on your arm. . .?"  
  
"No, not me!" I succeeded in rubbing the stuff out of my eyes. "Bakura slipped and probably hit his head on something, now he's unconscious, and Joey says he's gasping for air!"  
  
"Wait. . . 'Joey says?'" Relene interrupted, but getting up all the same.  
  
"They went looking for food and the thunderstorm started. C'mon!" I urged, grabbing her arm and tugging it like a toddler. She followed, with Myst and Shimmer following. The thunder crashed, and lightning lit the sky as we splashed through puddles. Joe, is he okay?  
  
/I think. . . he's not replyin', but he's breathin' OK now. . ./  
  
good. Hang on!  
  
/Tell that to Bakura!/ I followed my sword a length more, and I came upon a swampy area. I saw two figures, and I saw how someone could trip and hit his head, hard, on something. I walked over to them, my feet sticky with the mud around the area. Joey turned and saw me, and I saw that Bakura was moving, even if only a little. Thank goodness. . .  
  
Relene shuffled over, and Joey stepped aside so she could observe Bakura. She held up her hands a bit above his form, and a light was emitted. I saw Bakura moan and shift, then his eyes fluttered open.  
  
{What happened?}  
  
/You got a concussion!/  
  
You were knocked unconscious!  
  
::You had a hard knock on the head. . . I'll agree with that.::  
  
\I have no idea what's going on, but you were injured.\  
  
Bakura had a puzzled expression. "Confusing, but I think I get the idea." He sat up, and, much to his/our relief, he succeeded.  
  
::Take it easy. No fighting. I'll agree with Joey that you DID get a hard blow to your head.:: Bakura felt the back of his head, brought his hand to his face, and was relieved to see that there was no blood.  
  
"But don't you think the cold isn't the best place to be right now?" he suggested.  
  
Myst shivered and pulled her robes closer. "I agree. Joey, is your sword working?"  
  
"Yep," he said, releasing a flame to the nearest tree.  
  
"NOT START A FOREST FIRE!" Relene and Myst shouted. I sweatdropped, and Bakura held his head. Hearing two girls shout after you get a concussion isn't a pleasant thing. {Gals, please, please, please tone it down?}  
  
\Sorry.\  
  
::Likewise.::  
  
But the fire quickly died with the pouring rain. "Sh*t," Joey mumbled. He aimed the sword at the ground in front of us and sent a long stream of fire. It kept going for a while, and we placed our hands near it to seep in the heat. But a few minutes later, the long flame sputtered and died. We all sighed. Bakura curled up into a ball, and Relene started trying to dry out her robes, with little success.  
  
"Am I the only one who's cold?" Myst complained.  
  
"No," we all, except Joey, said in unison.  
  
"Brighten up! Quit bein' so pessimistic!" Joey exclaimed.  
  
"Joey, we're not fire-elemental, and we're not comfy cozy," Relene muttered, hugging her knees to her chest.  
  
I sighed and slipped out my sword. Joey started edging away. "Yug', who're ya gonna nuke?"  
  
"No one," I replied, aiming my sword to the sky. Stop, rain! To my delight, the storm cleared. Relene, Myst, and Bakura seemed relieved, but Joey gave me a glare.  
  
"Great. Why didn't you think of that before?" he accused.  
  
"Injury," I replied, not thinking, pointing to Bakura. He sighed and buried his head in his knees, which were hugged to his chest. . . . sorry. . .  
  
{No, it's the truth. . .}  
  
I sighed. Joey seemed to regret it to some rate. "So. . . just be glad the rain let up, right?"  
  
"Yup," I agreed.  
  
\*static* kid, i- *static* it? Don't *static* up!\  
  
{I *static* ess. . .}  
  
I seemed to only pick up bits of their conversation, since I think they were trying to make it a personal conversation. Myst helped Bakura up, who stumbled, but managed to regain his balance.  
  
We're on the road again.  
  
***************  
  
[1] I don't think I've written Yugi/Ryou before and ever will. It's just a friend thing, and I have to prepare for the gigantic sequel to this. In fact, the FIRST chapter 18 on my floppy disk had both of them asleep when Yugi woke up, and he commented that Ryou, when he was sleeping on the angel wing, looked soft. . . tee hee, hee. . .  
  
[2] I don't write Joey/Ryou either. Makes me wonder why I'm doing this. . .  
  
***************  
  
Yami Amythest: . . . too. . . much. . . Ryou. . . angst. . .  
  
R Amythest: *sighs* I don't know why I did that. . . just wanted to. . . Just be glad it wasn't a cliffhanger.  
  
Yami Amythest: I was just wondering. . . how could anything NOT be a cliffhanger? A chapter in the middle of the story makes you wonder about the true ending to the story, and the epilogue/last chapter makes you think about the sequel. . .  
  
R Amythest: . you spoil all my fun. . . *forces Yami Amythest back into the Millennium Sceptre*  
  
Yami Amythest: *from inside the rod* she gets lots of ideas from reviewers who like 'cuddly' Dark Magician Girls. . . And ones who like lumpy sleepy packages.  
  
Two people in audience: HEY!  
  
R Amythest: No insulting my penpals/reviewers! _ especially my favorites!  
  
Someone: I'm your favorite?!  
  
R Amythest: ^^ heck yeah! Can't wait till you get out of groundation!  
  
Ryou: what?  
  
R Amythest: my new word! Groundation!  
  
COH Ryou: *sighs* I think we need to fix the authoress. *walks offscreen, R Amythest following*  
  
Top Reviewers:  
  
Same as last time. Get your butt over there!  
  
Also, if your computer doesn't allow pop-ups, here's a URL to review: (I love computer codes!)  
  
art+With+The+Cards&  
  
and if it says that I don't accept anonymous reviews, log in. I've got enough troubles just getting this thing in the first place. . .  
  
However, this will make the current window you're reading this in become the review screen, so be prepared to press the back button. Thankies! ^^ I hope this link will make things better for Alayea and Sailor Millennium, and all you others out there! 


	19. Tintica Town

R Amythest: OVER 50 REVIEWS!!!! OVER 50 REVIEWS!!!! I LOVE YOU PEOPLE!!!!  
  
Yami Amythest: *sweatdrop* eh. . . read. . .  
  
*****************Chapter Nineteen: Tintica Town******************  
  
The rain stopped, and we came out of the small grove in the bushes. "Hey, where's Leafe 'n' Shimmer?" I asked, remembering the small pixie and the cross spy. Relene and Myst exchanged glances, and pointed to each other.  
  
"I THOUGHT YOU HAD HER!" they both accused each other.  
  
"Had 'er?" Joey questioned.  
  
"Up here, 'mom,'" Shimmer said sarcastically, her wings caught on trees.  
  
Both Relene and Myst sighed. Bakura flew up and unwound the branches around Shimmer's wings. Shimmer squeaked, then fell. Leafe was below, and caught her. "I forgot that reborn the monster brings back duel monsters as children. . ." Myst remarked.  
  
"Exactly the reason I didn't bring back your cousin," Relene confirmed.  
  
**LATER**  
  
We walked for about an hour now, and it was evident that Shimmer didn't think Myst and Relene were good babysitters. But it wasn't like she could fly herself, or one of her wings would get stuck.  
  
"Wait. . . what's that?" Bakura hoarsely whispered. I froze, and listened. Faint voices were in the distance. "Hurry, hide!" Myst grabbed Shimmer and brushed aside some bushes and hid. Her hair looked like twigs, I had to admit. Relene flew up onto the top of a tree, pretending to be the sky. Bakura went over to a strange white tree and went half into the shadow and half in the sunlight. Joey leapt into a bright patch of red-orange flowers. Leafe rolled his eyes and stooped down into the underbrush, hiding easily. I frantically looked around. There must be SOME hiding place for a Dark Magician. . .  
  
"Hey! YUGI!" one of the figures shouted cheerfully.  
  
I relaxed. "Hi, Tea!" I gestured to my friends. "It's safe. It's just them."  
  
"MAI-KUN!!!!" Joey shouted. He leapt out of the field and glomped Mai tightly around the neck. Myst tilted her head, and Relene cleared her throat. Leafe laughed out loud. Joey paid no heed. "I missed ya a LOT!"  
  
I sighed and shook my head. "I guess I would feel the same if I were apart from you," I considered, leaning on Myst. She giggled.  
  
Tristen was drooling, staring at Relene, who didn't seem to notice. "Attack of the hot babes. . ."  
  
**LATER**  
  
After walking what seems to be an hour or two, we reached the edge of the woods. Gasping, I peered over the ridge of a cliff, and below was a small town. Small, ant-like figures hurried around in the afternoon sunlight.  
  
"Wow!" I gasped, leaning over to get a better view.  
  
"Careful," Myst warned. As if on cue, I started to feel my leg slip. I screamed, and my arms flailed, but I started to rapidly lose altitude. Relene, Shimmer, Bakura and Mai, the ones who could fly, took off after me. However, I could just see the ground, growing nearer and nearer. . . I shut my eyes and screamed.  
  
I felt suspended in air. WAIT! I AM suspended in air. I opened my eyes to see Magest with his staff held in front of him. He slowly lowered me. "Thanks. . ."  
  
"No problem," he replied coolly. Hey, we'd he put his staff? Where's mine? I guess it's just another mystery. I wished for my staff and it materialized in my hand. So THAT'S how it works. . .  
  
It seemed that the flying population carried the non-flying monsters down, and all my friends were around me. Relene had hearts in her eyes. . . I giggled. Magest paid no attention. "C'mon, Tintica is near."  
  
Tintica?  
  
^Uh. . . Yugi, ya wanna know something?^ Shimmer sweatdropped.  
  
Yes?  
  
^Of all people, Magest doesn't have a mindlink.^  
  
I sweatdropped and voiced my question. "Where's Tintica?"  
  
"That town over there," he replied, pointing behind him, where the small town stood. It wasn't really a town; a large village was more like it. . .  
  
"Town?! It's a VILLAGE," Leafe expressed, voicing my thoughts. He pushed his way to the front and stared head-on at Magest.  
  
"The guidebooks said town, so I'm going with that," Magest replied crisply.  
  
"How do you know the guidebooks aren't wrong?" jeered Leafe. Relene put a firm hand over his shoulder.  
  
"If you don't stop arguing now, I'll have t' use the needle on ya!" she threatened. Leafe paled and mechanically took a step back. I muffled my laughter.  
  
We journeyed for a short time to Tintica Town. (Hey, it's an onimonipeia! Er. . . how do you spell that? Onemonepea? Onimonipea? Whatever!) Joey, having a temperamental and demanding stomach, dragged us all to lunch. Unfortunately, there was only one restaurant, and a flu epidemic had made all their chefs miss out on work. Of all people to solve our problem. . .  
  
"You don't hold the pot THAT way, you hold it THIS way," corrected Leafe, grabbing the pot and showing Myst how to hold it. She sweatdropped, holding it 'this way.' "And don't touch that raw meat! Watch your elbow!"  
  
"Leafe, I though you were a spy. . . who showed you how to cook?" Relene asked, washing a plate.  
  
Leafe blushed. "You really didn't think a spy would be needed in peace, now did you? I'm a chef. And since when did a nurse wash dishes?"  
  
"Family chore," she replied.  
  
We all pitched in cooking, Leafe correcting us every now and then. According to Leafe, the way I set biscuits in the oven is "impractical, inefficient, and hazardous!" But though Leafe's "helpful" advice, we got down to eat. It was actually pretty good, though we all hated to admit it. Partially because Leafe would say "I told you so, listen to me next time!" Joey was the only one that handed out random comments about the food.  
  
It turns out no one had a relative in Tintica. We had to leave by nightfall, or find an acquaintance. . .  
  
We set about the job of going door-to-door, finding a place to spend the night. Again and again, we were turned down. I sighed as I approached the final door. This was it, either this or nothing. . .  
  
I knocked on the door, and I heard light footsteps approach it. The door was tossed open and I froze. Standing in the doorway. . . was the mysterious mystical elf.  
  
"You! How'd you get here?!" she spat, grabbing me by the collar. I gave a hard shove, but her grip was efficient, to say the least.  
  
"Same for you!" I replied. There was distant shuffling in the background.  
  
"What now, Reggie?" Recarn grumbled. He caught sight of me and quickly put his hands around my neck, squeezing it slightly. "Attack, and I will, too." He proved his point by quickly tightening his hands for a split second. I gagged, and desperately grabbed his hands, trying to get them away from my throat.  
  
I didn't utter a sound, and I prayed they wouldn't sense mindlink. MYST! RELENE! JOEY! ANYONE!! HELP!!  
  
Chance appeared behind them, somewhat doubtful, but still smug. "Don't try it. I can block all mindlink within a 50-foot radius." Hey, kid, can ya hear me?  
  
I blinked. Confusion swarmed me. Is this a trick?  
  
This is the only thing I'm telling you. The freedom of the spirit has given me a change of heart. I stared at him, and noticed he looked a bit. . . different. His eyes were a lighter hazel than before, and instead of two demon wings, he had two angel wings. His robes were a lighter color, too. Aloud, he said, "But really, I think we shouldn't kill him off yet. Use him as bait for his friends and let him suffer a bit."  
  
WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?!  
  
I'm trying to distract them!  
  
"Good 'dea Chance," Reggie said smoothly, staring at me with icy bluish- gray eyes. She gave a carefree toss of her head. "What kind of torture?"  
  
"Recarn, get the knife! Let's have some FUN!" Chance sneered. When he lets you go, skiddattle, 'kay?  
  
Yup!  
  
"Yes, let's!" Recarn agreed. He used his power to summon a zombie Dark Magician, and left to get the knife. Shit. . .  
  
**********************  
  
R Amythest: I'm mean! Ya know it! I'm cruel! Ya know it!  
  
Yami Amythest: *sweatdrop* she's never had a knife in her fics before. . .  
  
R Amythest: yes I did! Remember, to cut the birthday cake?  
  
Yami Amythest: oh yeah. . .  
  
Yugi: NNNOOOOO!!!!!! DON'T KILL ME!  
  
R Amythest: I wouldn't have a plot, then. I'm not killing you, just torturing you. . .  
  
Yugi: oh. NOOOO!!!!!  
  
R Amythest: you might be able to save him via review, though. ^_~ 


	20. A Journey Predicted

R Amythest: Hey, I got a very random thought. . .

Ryou: *nervously* does it have to do with me?

R Amythest: sort of. Well, you know all those Yugi/Yami, Ryou/Bakura, and Malik/Ishtar fics out there?

Some Heterosexual Fan: YES! *throws cans and beer bottles at R Amythest while YAOI fans try to restrain her*

R Amythest: *dodges cans and bottles* well, I was thinking. . . since Yami, Bakura, and Ishtar are basically ancestors of Yugi, Ryou, and Malik, and technically, they're related. . .

Yami Amythest: O.O!!!!! HIKARI, YOU'RE NOT SUGGESTING THAT-

R Amythest: INCEST!

Yugi, Yami, Ryou, Bakura, Malik, Ishtar: .!!!!!!!!!!!!

R Amythest: *is calm* incest. . . incest. . . incest. . .

Bakura, Ishtar: *enraged!* WE'RE GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU #$%^&^&%$#@%^&%!!!!!!

R Amythest: *is calm* incest. . . incest. . . incest. . .

Yami: *calmly and sternly, as always* One more word, and I'm going to send you to the Shadow Realm! *Eye of Horus glows on forehead*

R Amythest: *is calm* incest. . . incest. . . incest. . .

Malik: *pissed off* #$^%&$^#^&*%&$#%^%&^*&%&$^#%@$^&^*&%$^#%@$%$^%^&*&&%$#%@!!!!! LET MY YAMI AND I DO WHAT WE WANT TO!!!!!

R Amythest: *is still calm* incest. . . incest. . . incest. . .

Yugi: Debating is the one game I'm not good at. . .

R Amythest: *is calm yet again* incest. . . incest. . . incest. . .

Ryou: *tries to make himself look small, then gets an idea* *puppy eyes* You don't like me anymore?!

R Amythest: *is cal- gasp* Sorry Ryou!!! *glomps Ryou*

Ryou: *tries to breathe* forgiven. . .

R Amythest: ROLL FIC! ^___________________^

********************Chapter Twenty: A Journey Predicted*********************

Recarn came back with the blade, smirking. "Where to begin?"

Chance looked helplessly at me. Now what?

Get me outta here!

"AUUUUUGH! Yugi! What 'n' the heck 'r' you doin' hea?" Joey shouted, running up. Myst, Leafe, Shimmer, Tea, Tristen, Bakura, and Mai ran behind him. The zombie dark magician behind me raised its staff menacingly. I jerked back to look with a bewildered look. It looked like it was almost mechanical. . . made of pure evil, raised in hell itself. . . No real creature could be that sinister. . . could they?

Seeing that my friends kept approaching, I warned them. "No, don't come closer!" I called back, mentally pointing to the zombie dark magician. They hesitated. Recarn lowered the knife.

"Hmm, I think capturing them will be better than torturing him," he mused. 

Chance perked up. I'll try to release you guys. "Yeah," he agreed out loud.

Recarn waved his arms, and dozens of Duel Monster rose, every one was just as demonic as the Dark Magician. "Minions, sic!"

I slid my sword out in the chaos and spun around quickly. "Sword of Silence, strike!" I shouted, watching the zombie behind me blast apart. I didn't watch to see his glittery pieces float away as I ran towards to group, Leafe barely holding them off with Mirror Force. "Strike!" I yelled again, destroying a Flash Assailant.

"Str-" I was interrupted by a gag being stuck in my mouth, and my sword taken away. I recognized the hand as Reggie's.

%Recarn! Summon more, that pesky Green Phantom King's got Mirror Force.%

@Yes, 'ma'am'. . .@

%This NOT the time to be sarcastic or difficult!%

I was roughly thrown into a net. Chance threw me a sympathetic look before sighing, leaning on the doorframe, and looking out. I wiggled a bit impatiently. Like before, I'm going to ask you, whose side are you on?

Not now Yugi. . . I will try to free you, but Reggie and Recarn have been suspicious lately. . .

I sighed and tried to make the best of it. I saw Myst getting dragged in, tossed by me by Reggie. \Sorry Yugi, I tried my best. . .\

Not your fault. . . I glanced toward the door frame and all the others were tossed into the net along with us. Recarn tied us up inside it. I could feel the strings underneath me, pressing tightly. They sure didn't want us to have comfort, period. Chance was casually reclined against the doorway. CHANCE!

Be patient!        

We were almost out of the door now. Halfway through, I felt something poking me. I strained to look down and saw that Chance had used Recarn's knife to cut the net! I slipped out and pulled Myst behind me. The gap was huge, and Shimmer and Bakura tumbled out. "WHAT THE #$%^$&%%#^&^$^^&$#%?!" Reggie screamed. I ran as fast as I could, pulling Myst along with me. I saw that both of them were following me. I ran faster, seeing Reggie and Recarn were close behind. A lightning storm was on its way, and rain poured down on us, drenching us. I ignored the chill of the rain. pleasedon'tletthemcatchme,pleasedon'tletthemcatchme swarmed in my mind.

^EIII!^

{\Shimmer!\}

Great, now there were only the three of us! It seems Reggie took her back, but Recarn was still after us. Good thing I remembered the thing about the staff I had experimented earlier. Come! It materialized in my hand. "SWORD OF SILENCE, STRIKE!" Recarn swerved, being hit by lightning and shocked, and fell to the ground.

\Do you think he's hurt?\ Myst stopped and looked briefly back.

No time Myst! There're causalities in a war, and enemy ones are necessary! I dragged her on.

I stumbled slightly over a stick, and Myst tripped over me. Bakura stopped and glanced briefly back before helping us up. "Hurry!" he urged, "Chance has stopped to tend to Recarn, but Reggie's let a zombie take care of Shimmer, and still approaching!" Even more frantic, I ran as fast as I could, ignoring the chill in my lungs as I breathed the cold night air of the suburban area.

We finally reached the edge of Tintica Town. Myst fainted into my arms. Myst, are you okay?!

\Yes, just a bit faint from running. . .\

Now that we were safe, I finally felt the toll from running around 40 MPH. I fell to my knees and panted for breath. Bakura was evidently doing the same. We were all soaked, and I think we might catch something out here. "Where do you think Relene and Magest were?"

"I don't know. . . They didn't come when you panicked through mindlink. . ." she replied thoughtfully, sitting up.

"Maybe it had to do something with Magest not having mindlink," Bakura suggested.

"What about Relene?" I asked.

Myst chuckled, "Probably stopped to find Magest and tell him." We giggled. 

"I HEARD THAT!" a voice in the distance shouted. Relene ran up, Magest levitated next to us. "Where are the others?" I looked up sadly at her, Wrapping my arms around myself to stay warm.

"Captured," Bakura answered softly, hugging his knees to his chest.

Magest paused. "That's what it was all about?"

"Well, first I knocked to get a place to stay, then I sent for help, then my friends got captured, then Chance freed a few of us!" I said quickly, trying to avoid making it obvious to the others that Chance was helping while he was on the other side. It WAS suspicious. . .

He clucked his tongue. "Then, then, then. I was a major in language arts in high school, you know."

"Sorry. But you get the point, right?"

"I wish I had locator spell," Myst sighed, slightly shivering. She leaned back a little, and I happened to behind her. She giggled lightly as I played with her hair. It was soft, and I liked soft things. . .

"It's sold around here!" Relene pointed out.

I brightened up, almost knocking Myst off me. "Great! Let's get some!"

Myst arched her eyebrows and pulled her pockets inside out, half-glaring at me for bumping her off. "I'm out of money. Joey just about spent all of it for lunch." It was just like Joey to do that. . . he didn't eat to live; it was like he lived to eat.

We sighed. "I knew I should've opened a bank account," Magest muttered, "but noooo, they insisted on mindlink orders. Figures." Relene mentally giggled.

"Ya have some one you?" I asked, praying that we weren't completely broke.

"Er. . ." he emptied his pockets. A few golden coins spilled out. "200 hets! I forgot about these! I can buy us plenty of stuff!"

"YAY!" I cheered, and practically dragged him off. "C'mon, let's buy some!"

"You mean you know where the secret spy base is?!" Myst asked, astounded.

I stopped. "Well, no. . ."

"Well, actually, I do. . ." the Change of Heart at my side said softly.

We all turned to stare at him. "What?!"

Bakura blushed, (he really didn't like attention,) but continued, "While I was checking for a place to stay, I came to a house. I rung the doorbell, but there was no movement, so I tried knocking. I sighed, and I kinda shuffled my feet, and I think I hit something, because then I fell into a room. I think it was the headquarters. . . because a lot of sneaky-looking figures were selling things, and I could see 'Leafe Haverel' written on a long list that flew off the counter." He paused. "That is Leafe's last name, right?"

Myst pondered this for a moment. "He always told me it was Everlite, but he WAS a spy. . ."

"Well," he continued, "I was kinda scared at the moment, and when no one was looking, I flew off."

"So now we get locater spell! Lead the way!" And I continued to drag Magest, following Bakura's hesitant lead.

Soon we were standing in front of a weird looking house. Bakura went up and shuffled his foot. We could hear a 'BEEP!' but no trap door gave away. He shrugged. "This worked before. . ." This time he tried pressing the doorbell, knocking, then shuffling on the mat. "It's still not-" the floor gave way, "WORKING!!!!!!!!"

"BAKURA/RYOU!!!!" we yelled. We all ran up to the door and peered in. He was cornered by. . .

the Summon Skulls. And they heard us, and sent a duel monster after us. It was a Winged Guardian of the Fortress, and it was easy to demolish with one swipe of my sword. I really thought that that was WAY too easy to be all. . .

"But. . . isn't this a spy base?" Bakura whispered inside the base.

"Duh! And you're. . . not. . . invited!!" one of them spat. {Wrong side?!}

"Who's Leafe?" he asked timidly.

"I am Leafe," replied a Green Phantom King. He didn't look much like the Leafe we know. His long hair, instead of a deep emerald green, was a dark one. The growth on his back was gnarled, and his eyes were piercing and cold. "And I. . . don't. . . know. . . you!"

We have to ambush them to save him! I took a glance at their weapons. Either that or we run. . .

::Be brave! We could steal all their stuff after we save Ryou!::

\Well. . . aren't we going to eventually get caught anyway?\

I could hear a foreign thought, or maybe it was a memory. #Friends have to stick together. . .# I took a deep breath. Right. I held my sword below me and jumped. "EEEIIIIIAAAAAGGGHHHHH!!!!"

*****************

Yugi: "Eiagh?"

R Amythest: What? You wanted to say, "Here comes me!" or something?

Yugi: At least make me say something decent!

R Amythest: Why?

Yugi: Ryou, puppy eyes, sic!

Ryou: *raises eyebrow*

R Amythest: *takes a sip of water* *looks slightly insane* This isn't water. . . WHOPEE!

Yugi: What?

Yami Amythest: oh no. . . she gets hyper with caffeine really easily. . . don't tell me that's Surge! (AN: actually, I've never had surge. . . the part about getting hyper really easily is true, and my parents don't let me have it 'cause I tend to bounce off the walls when I'm hyper ^^;; in fact, I don't think I've ever had a caffeinated drink in my life. . . no Pepsi, no Coke, no Mountain Dew. . . Seriously, I was waaaaay too hyper when our class had a pizza party and started laughing out of the blue. . . and I had Sierra Mist!)

R Amythest: YIPPPPPPPPPPIIEE!!!! ^_______________^ *glomps Ryou*

Ryou: Helppppp! Don't I get tortured enough in your fics?!

R Amythest: oh yeah! Go check out my 'inspiration fic,' 'Life isn't living 'til you've loved,' about Ryou! (duh)

Yami Bakura: *flips through it* you know, this isn't too bad. . . you said I'm here for bashing purposes, but no bashing yet. . .

R Amythest: YIPPIE! *boing* *boing* *sprays anti-love spray on Yami Bakura*

Sailor Millennium (loves Yami Bakura and vice versa. . . usually): *slaps Yami Bakura*

Yami Bakura: WWWWHHHHHYYYYY?!

R Amythest: hehehe, I told ya, bashing purposes!

Chibi Yami Bakura: Don't wowwy yawni, I stiwl wuv woo. . . (don't worry yami, I still love you. . .)

Yami Bakura: *sarcastically* wow, I'm touched. *thinking* I need to get to that love spray!

R Amythest: *still hyper* YYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *crashes on top of Ryou* *drool* you have pretty eyes. . .

Ryou: *sighs* this could take awhile. . .

R Amythest: ^^ AND THE NEWEST EPISODE IS ONE OF MY FAVS! MALIK/RYOU FLUFF! YAY! (though I know Marik's the one who hurt Ryou anyway. . . -_-) AND HIKARI MALIK'S VOICE IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE! *hugglez Ryou* I LOVE THE NEW EPPIE! AND REVIEW! (tell me what you think of the new episode, too!)

*+*+*+*+*+*+*BONUSBONUSBONUSBONUS*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

R Amythest: um. . . I'm really sorry for the shortness/crappiness of the current chapters, so here's a scene from one of the near-end chapters (next chapter. . . but whatever!). . . yup, THWTC is almost over. . .

*****Scene 3 from Chapter 22 (if you don't include the Author's Notes)

I was roughly slammed into the prison, sent reeling back. The witty phantom chained me, and took my staff. I waited until he left, then I summoned it into my hand. Nothing happened. ANYONE HEAR ME?! Leafe gave me a look. "If you're trying to use mindlink, it won't work. Crygif's gotten smarter."

"Then how'd you know I was trying to use mindlink at all?" I asked.

"Experience," he replied, "I saw the look on your face."

I groaned and tried to slide down the wall, but the handcuffs restricted me. "Crygif's too smart of an enemy. . ." Myst was thrown next to me, and also chained. She struggled but ended up almost breaking her wrist. She yelped softly, then stopped and gave me 'the look.'

"If we're trapped. . . at least we're trapped together. . ." she murmured quietly. Bakura, with a de-spell behind him to lead him, was also chained. He gave a small sigh before leaning back and half-sleeping. When the witty phantom left and mumbled something about an 'easy win,' his eyes shot open, and grabbed the cuffs by the small chain into the wall. Then he kicked against the wall, tugging at the chains.

"What. . . are you doing?" I asked, startled by his lashing. He was usually so quiet and withdrawn. . . I never thought he'd be able to even throw a decent punch! Was prison getting all of us into insanity? Or was it the concussion from earlier?

"I'm trying. . . to get. . . the chains. . . out. . . of. . . the wall. . ." He stopped for a moment and panted. He looked back at the cuffs and was happy that about an inch of chain was out. "I found out that they have about two feet of chain in the wall. They have a machine behind us to operate it, but if you tug hard enough," he gave another hard tug, releasing a small bit of shackle, "you can release some. I found that you need to pull really hard, though." He started to thrash again.

"Um. . . I know I should mind my own business. . . but your wrists are starting to bleed," Myst said timidly.

He stopped for a moment and turned to look. Some emotion flashed across his face for a moment. "So they are. . . all for the better," he whispered almost inaudibly. 

"What?" Myst gave him an odd look.

He gave Myst a cheerful look. "Never mind it. . . I'll fix it up when we get out of here. . . my theory is that when the chain is completely out, we can pull it completely from the machine." He turned around (he had enough chain) and grabbed the chain, kicking against the wall. I gave Myst a look that clearly said, "He's going hysterical!" Myst nodded, and she turned to the other wall. She maneuvered a bit so she was facing it. She gave it a kick, and another. It seemed to be a type of code or something, because it was almost in a pattern. She stopped, and there were a few taps from the other side. She listened attentively, then replied. The other side was LOUD this time.

"Duh, Harp. We're all chained," Leafe said out of the blue. Myst gave him a glare, then started kicking again, VERY loudly. "Ha, ha, Myst, very funny. But too bad, I'm NOT shutting up."

"What's up with those two?" I asked him.

He made a face. "Morse code."

"What'd they say?" I inquired, watching Myst tap very softly. The place was silent except for Bakura's panting.

"From the beginning? Myst said, 'Harp, help us, your 'little precious Ryou' is going crazy!'" he smirked. "Harp replied, 'WHAT?! Is he the one making the noise?!' Then Myst kicked, 'Yeah. . . can you get over here and check?!' So Harp shout-kicked, 'I'M BOUND TO THE WALL, HOW THE HECK DO I GET OVER?!'" He stopped for a minute to try to remember. "I added the comment, and Myst stared daggers at me and screamed, 'TELL LEAFE TO SHUT UP!' which I did not listen to, and then the soft thing Myst tapped was. . ." his face got all emotional, which I've never seen Leafe do.

Then the dungeon door was slammed open, and the witty phantom shouted, "SHUT UP YOU BIG FAT @#$%^$^#@%^!!!!!" Leafe glared and tapped the wall. Myst giggled.

"That tapped stuff means, same to you, cat-in-the-hat."

Yet amongst all the commotion, I wondered how Myst knew Morse. Not because this is a different world, but because Myst and Harp knew it. . . Harp's cause was simple, she was a messenger, but Myst. . . she told me she got people to join our side. . . why and how did she know Morse Code? 

*******************

R Amythest: Anyone got an answer to the question? ^__________^ You won't believe me when I tell you in the _last_ chapter. Review!

If the little button thingy doesn't work, go to the URL at the bottom. And if it doesn't show up, then the one with a lot of spaces should. Just delete the spaces. (yeah, I know it's hard to find all the spaces. . . *sigh* if the one at the bottom shows, use it)

Ht w.fan fiction.n et/revi ew.ph p?st oryid=105522 1&cha pter=20&ti tle=Th e+He art+Wit h+th e+Car ds&u serid=27552 6& pre=0&re v=1


	21. Bound to Destiny

R Amythest: YAMI BAKURA FANS, GIVE A CHEER! HE'S GONNA DO A PART, AND IF HE DOES IT RIGHT, HE GETS LOVE SPRAY AND IS THEREFORE ALLOWED TO BE CUTE AGAIN! READ ON!

Yami Amythest: *sweatdrop* she needs an anti-hyper spray. . . and no, she doesn't own YuGiOh, although in this state, maybe she'll attempt to. . . *sweatdrops as R Amythest goes off with a ax, heading toward Kazuki Takahashi's house*

**********************Chapter 21: Bound to Destiny********************

I was right. The Winged Guardian of the Fortress wasn't the only obstacle- because, like Bakura had said before, this place was loaded with stuff. ARMOR stuff. And heck knows I couldn't take all of them at once.

We all tried to defeat them. Magest with his magical staff, blowing back the opposing side, Relene, although she ran out of magical energy, was fighting the best she could with spell bottles, Myst chanting spells, and I was destroying what I could with my sword. We barraged them with attacks, keeping them away from us for as long as possible so we could get Bakura and get out of here. . . but there were too many.

"There's too many!" I shouted out loud. "We have to get out of here!" Relene and Magest started to levitate out. I tried to levitate, too, but then I saw Myst, who managed to free Bakura and was pulling him towards me. I grabbed one of Myst's hands, and Bakura held the other, and together, we flew.

Alas, it couldn't be that easy. (Though I wish it was. . .) There was a sudden searing of pain at my back, and I cried out. The Summon Skull took advantage of my shock and gripped my foot, dragging me down. I let go of Myst- maybe she'd survive. But Bakura and she just dipped back down and started a tug-of-war with the Summon Skulls. I was the rope.

Unfortunately, we were no match for Crygif's spies, and although I could feel Bakura flying backwards as powerfully as he could, a whole club versus one was really unfair. (Myst couldn't fly, so she didn't help.) He yelped and was pulled forcefully from the air, crashing into Myst, who fell on me.

A net was tossed over us, and I struggled upwards, because of a bone I think I broke while landing on the hard cement floor. I fingered my arm gingerly and vaguely wondered if Bakura had healing items for more than just cuts. Glancing over, I realized that wouldn't do me any good anyway, since he was unfortunately knocked unconscious. Myst rose beside me, holding her lip, which was bleeding. But it seemed that Bakura still took most of the fall, considering Myst was halfway lying on him, and my (twisted) ankle was on top of his knee. I ushered Myst off. "And I thought I had it bad," she murmured. I sighed. I cared about him, too, but I seriously needed to get that Goblin's Secret Remedy; it'd help us all.

The Summon skulls were talking on a cell phone, so I took the moment to gently turn Bakura over. He muttered something, presumably English (sure I took it as my foreign language, but I only know the basics!), and flinched slightly. Sighing, I searched the robes around his waist for anything that felt like a bottle. Nothing. I felt along his arms, to see if he kept anything up his sleeve (literally.) I felt a small bottle. Tugging on the sleeve so that it billowed out (like it was on the card,) a small bottle tumbled out. Just what we were looking for. I opened it, removing one of the gooey leaves. "What the heck is that?!" Myst asked.

"Goblin's Secret Remedy," I replied, gesturing for her to turn her head towards me. I had no clue how to use this on places that couldn't be wrapped. . . But I guessed and wiped some goo off of the leaf, dabbing it on Myst's lip.

I froze. My finger. . . was on her lip. . . this is the same as if she kissed me. . . I gulped and managed a small, insane smile as I withdrew my hand, staring at the spot my finger touched. It healed; that was good, but I still felt giddy.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as I heard a cough behind me. I scooted carefully around so as not to hurt my ankle or arm. (Thankfully, the injured arm was my left.) I eyed Bakura over and was relieved to see the only other injury he had was a long cut across the wrist. Wait, long cut across the WRIST?! I fingered the cut, and it was dry. It was rather old, and it seems that it was healing, and the fall must've made it bleed again. I sighed; I didn't like where it was pointing, but I removed part of the leaf and applied it, ripping off a small part of my sleeve to use as a bandage.

Bakura's eyes suddenly snapped open when I applied the bandage, and he stared at me with a terrified gaze. Then his expression suddenly changed; from an innocent, frightened look to a dark, sinister one. "Don't you dare tell anyone!" he ordered, his voice suddenly sandy and rough, the British accent gone. "I'll kill you, pharaoh, if you do!" The look disappeared, and he looked sorry he said that. . . did he say that? It wasn't like him. He sighed and looked away. "Sorry Yugi. . . don't tell anyone?" I gave him a reassuring smile and wrapped up the bandage.

Myst's face looked confused, then registered a look of understanding. "Oh. . . I see. I won't tell."

"Neither will I," I complied. "By the way, got anything for bones? I took quite a fall. . . I think I broke my arm and sprained my ankle. . ."

"Yes, actually, I do. . ." he reached in his other sleeve and pulled out another bottle. "In Magic Village, Dian Keto[1] the Cure Master gave me this himself." It was a small blue bottle, labeled 'cure 14238 growth.' He gestured to me, and I held out my arm. He opened it, and instead of a liquid, it was a gas-like form. . . sort of like the knockout gas. He seemed to sense my worry and replied with, "Don't worry. It helps fractured and broken bones seal together again." After the gas dissolved into my arm, he took it down near the ankle, where my ankle absorbed it. After a few seconds, both places felt a lot better. It seemed to heal sprains, too.

"Okay, okay, so you've healed. ON TO DUNGEON 2!" Leafe Haverel roared, tying up the net and dragging us behind him.

"Allow me," sneered a Summon Skull. He tossed us over his shoulder and carried us. This was more painful, and it didn't help for the fact that I was on the bottom. But maybe it was better, because if Myst were on the bottom, her lips would be touching my butt. . . My mind both liked and hated this idea. Not that I wasn't practically kissing Myst's back now. If Bakura were on the bottom. . . well, let's just say he doesn't need another reason to be depressed.

We reached Dungeon 2, it seems that it's just the dungeon that all our friends were sent to. Including Harp. We were dragged inside, and an empty prison door was opened. Our net was opened and somehow, I fell out first. The Witty Phantom grabbed me by the shirt collar, looking at the prison door. I gulped. I inanely noticed that everyone was chained just like in one of my earlier visions. . .

I was roughly slammed into the prison, sent reeling back. The witty phantom chained me, and took my staff. I waited until he left, then I summoned it into my hand. Nothing happened. ANYONE HEAR ME?! Leafe gave me a look. "If you're trying to use mindlink, it won't work. Crygif's gotten smarter."

"Then how'd you know I was trying to use mindlink at all?" I asked.

"Experience," he replied, "I saw the look on your face."

I groaned and tried to slide down the wall, but the handcuffs restricted me. "Crygif's too smart of an enemy. . ." Myst was thrown next to me, and also chained. She struggled but ended up almost breaking her wrist. She yelped softly, then stopped and gave me 'the look.'

"If we're trapped. . . at least we're trapped together. . ." she murmured quietly. Bakura, with a de-spell behind him to lead him, was also chained. He gave a small sigh before leaning back and half-sleeping. When the witty phantom left and mumbled something about an 'easy win,' his eyes shot open, and grabbed the cuffs by the small chain into the wall. Then he kicked against the wall, tugging at the chains.

"What. . . are you doing?" I asked, startled by his lashing. He was usually so quiet and withdrawn. . . I never thought he'd be able to even throw a decent punch! Was prison getting all of us into insanity? Or was it the concussion from earlier?

"I'm trying. . . to get. . . the chains. . . out. . . of. . . the wall. . ." He stopped for a moment and panted. He looked back at the cuffs and was happy that about an inch of chain was out. "I found out that they have about two feet of chain in the wall. They have a machine behind us to operate it, but if you tug hard enough," he gave another hard tug, releasing a small bit of shackle, "you can release some. I found that you need to pull really hard, though." He started to thrash again.

"Um. . . I know I should mind my own business. . . but your wrists are starting to bleed," Myst said timidly.

He stopped for a moment and turned to look. Some emotion flashed across his face for a moment. "So they are. . . all for the better," he whispered almost inaudibly. 

"What?" Myst gave him an odd look.

He gave Myst a cheerful look. "Never mind it. . . I'll fix it up when we get out of here. . . my theory is that when the chain is completely out, we can pull it completely from the machine." He turned around (he had enough chain) and grabbed the chain, kicking against the wall. I gave Myst a look that clearly said, "He's going hysterical!" Myst nodded, and she turned to the other wall. She maneuvered a bit so she was facing it. She gave it a kick, and another. It seemed to be a type of code or something, because it was almost in a pattern. She stopped, and there were a few taps from the other side. She listened attentively, then replied. The other side was LOUD this time.

"Duh, Harp. We're all chained," Leafe said out of the blue. Myst gave him a glare, then started kicking again, VERY loudly. "Ha, ha, Myst, very funny. But too bad, I'm NOT shutting up."

"What's up with those two?" I asked him.

He made a face. "Morse code."

"What'd they say?" I inquired, watching Myst tap very softly. The place was silent except for Bakura's panting.

"From the beginning? Myst said, 'Harp, help us, your 'little precious Ryou' is going crazy!'" he smirked. "Harp replied, 'WHAT?! Is he the one making the noise?!' Then Myst kicked, 'Yeah. . . can you get over here and check?!' So Harp shout-kicked, 'I'M BOUND TO THE WALL, HOW THE HECK DO I GET OVER?!'" He stopped for a minute to try to remember. "I added the comment, and Myst stared daggers at me and screamed, 'TELL LEAFE TO SHUT UP!' which I did not listen to, and then the soft thing Myst tapped was. . ." his face got all emotional, which I've never seen Leafe do.

Then the dungeon door was slammed open, and the witty phantom shouted, "SHUT UP YOU BIG FAT @#$%^$^#@%^!!!!!" Leafe glared and tapped the wall. Myst giggled.

"That tapped stuff means, same to you, cat-in-the-hat."

Yet amongst all the commotion, I wondered how Myst knew Morse. Not because this is a different world, but because Myst and Harp knew it. . . Harp's cause was simple, she was a messenger, but Myst. . . she told me she got people to join our side. . . why and how did she know Morse Code? 

***********

[1] sorry, I don't have that card, and I have no clue how to spell it. (I didn't buy a starter deck XP)

***********

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*BONUS*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

Oh yeah, one more thing, this is something I'm writing. Well, more like a plot bunny, but I really like this one. So instead of waiting for me to get around to it, I will be working on this immediately if enough people like this. It's a one-shot, kinda goes with 'Pikachu's Goodbye' from pokemon. I was singing it to myself on the car on the way back home from Maya Kaiba's house (I went there from July 3-7) and when I got to the line(s), "It's for the best, I know it. Who would've thought that you and I…? Somehow someday, we've got to say… goodbye." (Can I call it a songfic? Just sing it while you're reading- enhances romantic/angsty experience) It really made one of my little buried inspirational freaks pop up and expand. So this scene was written while I was bored stiff during a 10-hour drive after a nap! -_-;;; but I swear, it's good, even *I* liked it, which is rare for my plot bunnies. (Hence, I have around 5 one-shots written ^^;; instead of 20.) No, I mean *REALLY* liked it, like my 'True Reality' that I sent in for Chibizoo's contest. Coming to think of it, maybe I like this more. But, deadline's approaching and I'm a lazy authoress. So, just vote in your review: bad, okay, good, very good; add comments and maybe some little random ideas that pop into your head about this, and I'll see what the overall results are! (I also asked some of my penpals and placed a forum subject about it… ^^;;) Title subject to change, send in a suggestion.

*~*~*

Warnings: shounen-ai (Malik/Ryou,) character death, profanity, angstyness!

Briefing/prologue summary thingy: Two years ago, Ryou left for Tokyo U, despite Malik's protest (with a little egotist joke on Malik, hence the part of the letter.) Ryou promised he'd come back after he graduated, but a few days ago, he caught what he assumed was the flu. But soon it was thrown out of proportion, and the doctors said that even _if_ he survived, he would be crippled for life. Ryou's heart is wavering at his decision- one that would break his promise, to die… and Malik makes it to the hospital, but too late to be with his love once more…

--------------------You Never Said Goodbye------------------

Malik slowly opened the door, tension in the air. He took silent steps toward Ryou's lifeless body. "I'm too late," he whispered. He stroked his pale, thin arm softly, running a finger down Ryou's silken skin. His hand brushed against something hard. Malik stopped and looked at Ryou's hand. His hand was around a piece of paper, a pen wedged between his thigh and the bed. Malik gently removed the note. It was almost illegible -- there were parts where the ink stopped flowing, and it seemed that the writer was incredibly poor at hand-eye coordination. But what caught his attention the most was the long trail of ink from the last letter to the side of the page. _He died writing this!_ Malik realized with shock. Carefully, like it was a priceless artifact, he slowly put it on the counter and took another piece of paper, and started decoding the note.

_Malik-chan,_

_I'm sorry, I have to leave, and this time, it IS my fault. Gomen nasai, it seems I'm the egotist. I broke my promise to live a better life/afterlife. Hopefully my heart will be lighter than the feather- even with this guilt. Can I ask you for you not to forget me? As long as you do that, I can watch over you as a spirit. But I have no right to make you promise, since I broke MY promise myself. But I beg of you, onegai, to keep me in your heart._

_~Tenshi (demon?)  R~\_

The last word wasn't finished. _Ryou_, Malik thought. An anger that was hard to understand boiled inside him. The slight, peaceful grin on Ryou's face let it all lose.

"DAMN IT YOU BASTARD!!! YOU PROMISED!!! YOU **SWORE**!!! YOU SAID YOU'D COME BACK TO ME!!!! WHAT'S SO FUNNY, HUH?! DID YOU WANT ME TO BE HEARTBROKEN?! SOME KOI YOU ARE!!! AND... you... never... said... goodbye..." Malik's voice gave way to sobs as he collapsed onto the bed, arms wrapped tightly around the pale boy's waist, his head found its way into Ryou's limp arms. "and... and... I'll never find anyone else like you."

*~*~*

R Amythest: Ummies… *sniff* it almost made me cry. I love the paragraph where Malik shouts! Just FYI, the current results are:

Bad: 0

Okay: 2

Good: 1

Very Good: 3

But, I have yet to check that forum, so it might change. Um… am I getting into the habit of adding extras _all_ the time?

*~*~*

R Amythest: Yes, a Yami finally made his appearance! *dances* It leads up to da. . . SEQUEL! And yeah, the last scene was from the bonus thingy.

Ryou: okay, first I almost starve to death, then it's revealed I'm suicidal, and NOW I get a CONCUSSION?!

R Amythest: ^^;; *nod, nod*

Ryou: *GROAN*

R Amythest: *sighs* fine, Yami Bakura, for being in here and actually acting it out correctly, you can be attractive again. *sprays on Love Spray*

Sailor Millennium *pops up out of nowhere* YABAKU! *GLOMP!*

Yami Bakura: ^^

R Amythest: I prefer my own li'l' tenshi! *glomps Ryou around the waist, burying head in chest. . . you know, the romantic way when you say the stuff about the heartbeat?*

Ryou: *sweatdrop* at least she's not half-choking me.

R Amythest: ^_______________________________^ REVIEWWWWWW!

If the little button thingy doesn't work, go to the URL at the bottom. And if it doesn't show up, then the one with a lot of spaces should. Just delete the spaces. (yeah, I know it's hard to find all the spaces. . . *sigh* if the one at the bottom shows, use it)

Ht w.fan fiction.n et/revi ew.ph p?st oryid=105522 1&cha pter=20&ti tle=Th e+He art+Wit h+th e+Car ds&u serid=27552 6& pre=0&re v=1


	22. Returning Memories of the Past

Ryou: *gasps* No...

Myst: It couldn't be... *holds heart*

Yugi: our faith has been shattered...

Leafe: *rolls eyes* Overdramatic, aren't you? In simple terms, R Amythest is now a fairly well-known Yu Yu Hakusho fanfictionist. *glares at R Amythest, who is typing the 7th chapter of Conspiracy of the Dead*

R Amythest: *takes sip of water and continues typing* what?! I'm loved there! I have roughly an average of 6 reviews per chapter! And it's so fun to scare people! *grins* I love writing horror!

Ryou: *puppy dog eyes* *leans on the back of my chair* can't you continue this a bit? Take a break from all that scariness? *presses f12, and the save as window pops up*

R Amythest: *eye twitches* fine. *saves, then goes off to drool over Kurama pictures*

Ryou: *shrugs* it's hopeless.

Yami Amythest: *from sceptre* you're talking?! I've been locked in here for weeks!

Harp: *gets pendulum* *waves it in front of R Amythest's face* you are getting sleepy... veeery sleepy...

R Amythest: huh? *starts to fall asleep*

Harp: ...you are under my control... and you will write the next chapter!

Yami Amythest: Let me out, too!

R Amythest: *possessed eyes, lets Yami out, opens Chapter 22*

Harp: ^^ And since I'm suuuuch a nice person, I'll simply state that R Amythest doesn't own YuGiOh, but currently got YuGiOh-Stairway to the Destined Duel, and stinks at it.

Random Person: I mean, how bad could she be if she can't even beat Tea?!  
  


Tea: hey! Well, she beat Rex, Weevil, Mokuba, Esper Roba, and Isis!

Ryou: Let's not mention suffering defeat from my Yami three times. Who, I just found out, calls me a vessel!

Kaiba: that moron lost to me in 6 turns. How good could she be? _I_ should be writing this fic! And you *points to Mokuba* get better!

Mokuba: *sulks* awww, but big brother, I got a bad hand!

R Amythest: *ignores all and types fic*

********************Chapter Twenty-Two: Returning Memories of the Past**********************

"And a bit more... we're free!" I fell from the wall with a yelp, rubbing my wrists. Myst smiled in front of me, a paperclip in her hand. "It's amazing what a little lock knowledge can do, huh?" I nodded.

"Yeah... makes me wonder how much you really know!" I piped. I gave her a quick hug, then let her pick Bakura's handcuffs.

"Yipes... maybe next time you should clear your mind before acting," Myst murmured, picking dried blood out of the locks. Bakura muttered a brief "gomen" as the cuffs snapped open. "It's not your fault!"

Bakura and I followed Myst out of the cell. Leafe, Shimmer, and Tristen were waiting for us with Mai, Joey, and Tea behind them. "Now all we need to free is Harp," I stated, facing the last prison chamber. They all nodded, Myst and Leafe with paperclips in hand. I chuckle to myself. And imagine, those paperclips were for that Chemistry project I never did. Maybe it has its uses, after all.

Harp let out a sigh of relief as she, too, slid down the wall, closing her eyes, taking in the sweet feeling of freedom. "C'mon Harp-chan[1]! We need to leave quickly... or Crygif might find us!" Bakura said quickly. Harp opened her eyes again and nodded, smiling slightly.

Quickly, quietly, we scurried down the hall. It was dark and steely-looking. Shadows graced the cold stone, making one of us back away once in a while, thinking that there was a guard. Miraculously, we got to the door without any guards in sight.

...Unfortunately, there were guards on the other side of the door.

"DARK MAGIC ATTACK!" I sputter quickly. The Shining Abyss quickly disintergrates, leaving behind a cloud of sparkles, which 'poofs!' into nothingness as we scamper through it and into the woods beyond.

"Yugi!" a rough voice cried musically above us. I looked up in the midst of my running and saw Kaiba above us all. "Crygif has betrayed me again, and now I shall betray him!" He landed in front of us. "Listen Yugi, this is only a _temporary_ alliance. So don't think too much of it. But I know where they'll attack next."

"Where?" Myst gasped.

Kaiba regarded her with an indifferent gaze. "Elentual Village. Home of spellcasters and fairies."

"Oh for the sake of Hathor..." she choked, getting onto Kaiba. "Hurry! Just... please... hurry!"

"What's wrong Myst?" I asked softly. She sheds some tears.

"Remember? ...that's where I live."

And, quietly, distantly, I hear \And the place he **promised** not to destroy....\

**By Daylight**

I heard a loud voice shouting, "WAKE UP!" before yelping and rolling off of Kaiba and onto the dirt below. Spluttering and choking, I coughed out the sand and grit before glaring at Kaiba. He paid no attention and flied up again. ))I'm going to alert you all when Crygif comes!(( I assumed that was Kaiba and turned to Myst.

"Where's the weaponry?" I asked, brushing myself off.

"Umm," she sweatdropped, "there, there, there, there, there, there, and there." She giggled at my confusion. There was a large bazaar in the middle of the village. Or, at least, large proportionally.

"Uh, okay then... the best one?" I asked her.

"Serryu's[2] Spells," Leafe said, cutting her off. "It's a secret location ("Well, not secret anymore," he added) that contains countless powerful spells and antidotes." /COOL!/ "...for a price."

Altogether now! *COLLECTIVE GROAN!*

"But, free to spies," Leafe smirks. "I'll be gone for a while now. Take care." With that, he struts off into the bazaar.  
  


/Okaaaay.... Eh, I'm lost. Leafe knows dis town?!/

\Yes, this town, although small, is known for its spells and weaponries.\

In that case, get me to the best one that doesn't charge non-spies extra.

\Alright, but I'll need to flirt with the shopkeeper. Then I can get the stuff free.\

Something in the back of my mind growled, but outwardly, I said, "Okay." 

Myst smiled and gracefully walked down the street. \And I advise you not to act overprotective or lovey-dovey.\ My eye twitched, and Joey grinned. Myst laughed at my expression, then walked up to a store.

"Hi Elvy–chan!" she piped, catching the storekeeper's attention. The Celtic Guardian turned around, smiling at Myst.

"Hello, my beauty, I'm glad you're alive, and able to see me again," he slurred, walking over and tracing Myst's face. I seethed slightly, and Joey's not helping with his nudging. Stop Joey. Nudge. I'm serious... Nudge. Don't make me hurt you!

He stopped nudging at that. I breathe a sigh of relief, stroking the Sword of Silence.

Over at the shop, Myst's clever words managed to get the shopkeeper to show her a beautiful sky-blue wand. "Wow," she gasped, running her fingers along its smooth surface, "it's... beautiful...." It was like Tea's, except its color and shape. The tip, instead of a moon, was a hollow star, with a white mist inside. It seemed to glow with energy, and ancient hieroglyphics adorned the shaft.

"Just like you, my love," Elvy whispered, leaning closer to Myst. In response, she stiffened slightly, tilting her head back. "If you stay, I'll give you that, and more, for free...."

@#$%^764#@&*(*&^$%##$%^&#@$#%^&*%&^#@$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

/CALM DOWN YUG'!/

"I-I'm sorry," she stammered, backing up slowly, "I still have much to do in the war."

Elvy's expression hardened slightly, but he managed to stay calm. "Well then... take it as a memory of me... and come back, please." He lightly handed the wand to Myst, who gave a miniature sigh and took it.

"All right then. I'll be going...."

She came back to us smiling, but I felt fiery inside. I almost lost her... or at least that's what I feel. Why, I don't know. Maybe... it's true that I love her the way I used to love Tea.

Or more.

**nightfall**

"Wow Leafe, being a spy seems to have a huge payout," Myst gasps, fingering the Torrential Tribute spell, then going to the Raigeki spell. "These... these are so wonderful!"

Leafe grinned and hugged Shimmer, resting his chin on her head. "All the hard work involved pays for it. Plus, we want to win."

Myst smiled and rested the spells back on the table. "Oh, and can you identify this?" She held the wand up to Leafe's eye level.

He stiffened. "The summoning of Ghost of Dark Sanctuary. Along with other spirits, including Spirit of the Wind, Garuda the Wind Spirit, Aqua Spirit, Souls of the Doomed, and things in that general area. Once you've mastered it, it's said you can summon rather advanced forms, such as Change of Heart, Brain Control, Dark Hole, Mirror Wall, and that stuff. And it's said, if a Happy Lover blesses it and you meet your true soul mate... it will create one baby duel monster."

So THAT was what was in it for the Celtic Guardian guy....

\I suppose so. Still, it sounds rather useful.\

"Yep, it's one powerful weapon," Leafe declared, putting down Shimmer.

"I just hope I don't have to use it..." Myst murmured. "All those could cause mass damage to this village... and I really don't want to destroy it...."

Mai came down, with Joey following her, and sighed. "War's war, there are casualties in its wake."

Myst turned her gaze downward. "I know. I just want to make the amount as small as possible."

Tea blinked, looking out the window. "Um... guys?"

))CRYGIF HAS COME!!!((

************

[1] Japanese suffix of affection! ^_^

[2] If you've seen Knights of the Zodiac... *eyetwitch* um... yeah, that Serryu. (sp?) What?! He's cute! *sweatdrop*

************

R Amythest: *is playing YuGiOh: Stairway to the Destined Duel* HUZA! ^_^ Now I can beat Yami Yugi and Hikari Yugi!!! *dances* And Yami Bakura and Ryou, too! Of which, Ryou is soooooooo much easier...

Ryou: Hey, I'm not a 5,000-year-old-spirit who's played the game for the sake of his life...

R Amythest: *shrugs and goes off to pound Isis (Ishizu...) for the 4th time*

Isis: It's not fair... why does she pick on me?!  
  


Weevil: That's equivalent for me.

R Amythest: I can't help it if you're bad.

Yami Bakura: useless mortals...

R Amythest: Zip it, I beat you three times, too.

Yami Bakura: *glare* All I needed was a Destiny Board L to win, and you know it.

R Amythest: *grins* yeah, but that face-down magic card of yours blew it, didn't it?

Yami Bakura: *growls*

R Amythest: Well, anyhow, I'm almost done with this fic. When I am, I'll be taking a LONG vacation, but when I come back, I think DfHRfH will come much more naturally ^^ So... don't push me. But review, it helps!


	23. Final Battle for Light

R Amythest: second to last chapter, I believe... ^^;; but... it's going to be a while until I start the sequel, "Descending from Heaven, Rising from Hell." Erm... mostly because I have a new YYH trilogy going...

Leafe: *mutters* traitor... *pokes*

R Amythest: What? I'm going to get this thing over and done with, then go on a little updating spree for 'The Music of the Stars,' my little Ryou/Malik fic, and 'Conspiracy of the Dead,' the first in my YYH trilogy.

Myst: Oh, so you're going to let me stay dead for a prolonged time?!

Yugi: *glompie* I'LLL MIISSSSS YOUUU!!!!  
  


R Amythest: you two LOVE spoiling my plot, don't you?!

***************************Chapter Twenty-Three: Final Battle for Light; Banishment and Prevalence*********************************

Dark clouds circled the sky. Lightning filled the air, screeches and cries of foes clashed; and among this, my friends and I fought the greatest battle of our lives. Listen, and you will hear of the most dramatic battle of our lives. A single star sparkled and caught my eye. From it descended Crygif, Recarn, Reggie, and Chance.[3]

"Sword of Silence, STRIKE!" I hollered, the dark beam of fury heading toward Crygif, but was dispelled easily with his own golden beam. 

Above, in the skies, Kaiba attacked with all his fury, but was met up with three other Blue-Eyes, each seemingly darker, and below them was Recarn, smirking in all his glory. Leafe protected the city, his magic making up for his low attack power. Mai, Tristen, and Joey were relatively weak on their own, but teamed up to destroy larger foes. Harp streaked through the sky, a golden streak, getting behind the front lines and attacking the slightly weaker monsters behind them. Bakura controlled the strong monster in the front to destroy the ones behind them. On to the side were Myst, Tea, and Shimmer, who resorted to soothing those in the village—the panicked, the pained, the worried.

Crygif didn't seem to understand why such a small community was putting up such a huge struggle.

And somewhat, that was a reason why we felt we could overcome him.

"Please, calm down!" Myst soothed, holding a little Dark Elf close to her. "Your mother will be all right... she'll do fine...." The elf refused to listen, screaming and kicking like before.

Suddenly, there was a flash, and the Dark Elf screamed in pain, disintegrating in her hands. Myst gasped, quickly turning to the source of the flash... Reggie. She smirked, holding a dark hand in front of her, pausing for a moment as a staff materialized in her hand. Myst cringed, grabbing her own light blue wand. Reggie stops in surprise at this. "Well, how very touching." She spun her own blood-red staff around in her hands, creating a blur. She stopped it, and slowly pointed the black sphere at the top at the star on Myst's wand. "The Void Scepter finally meets its counterpart, the Soul Gliss."

"What?" Myst asked, raising her wand. "Counterpart?"

"Ancient lore tells of two staffs, forged each in their own universe, one of cruelty, and one of love." Reggie painted a scene in the sky above them, of two elves. "They were said to have belonged to the greatest warriors of their time. But they were never destined to meet." The docile scene changed to a battlefield, barren and desolate. "And alas, the greatest clash of unforgiving hatred of torrential fury and gentle winds of mercy and kindness was aroused. It was a fight to the finish."

"Who... who won?" Myst breathed, clutching the Soul Gliss tight in her hand.

"They say history repeats itself," Reggie answered, "I am not one to believe it. But if it truly goes that way, then we shall do battle... and find out."

That's all I heard before I found myself blocking Crygif's attack with a dark shield.

Behind our beams, Bakura went to control a Vorse Raider, but was stopped by Chance, who swarmed in front of him. "Now, do you REALLY think I'd let you do that?!"

I thought you were on OUR side!!!!

..............................................................................................

...I don't want to deal with Audra's spirit.

...what?

But I had no time to ask more, as my shield was destroyed and left me in a cloud of dust. I coughed as it entered my lungs, but stayed strong, all the same, watching the spot where I was certain Crygif was. "Sword..." cough "of silence..." cough "STRIKE!"

The beam ripped through the dust, giving me a narrow look at the outside world. The attack missed Crygif's head by a few inches. "I must say I'm impressed by your power," Crygif growled, "but that will be no longer!" He aimed a beam at me, and I attacked back with a steady black ray of my own, neither gaining area.

It happened there. The answer to a thousand questions.

"Don't you think it's ironic," Reggie said steadily, paring Myst's spells with her own, "that our little top spy is currently rebelling with all her might for the love of our greatest foe?"

"WHAT?!" I couldn't keep the beam up, and I barely dodged it. All the others, too, were breathless. An eerie bubble of silence surrounded all of us. Myst stayed silent. Leafe muttered random curses under his breath, hesitantly taking out a bottle of Tribute to the Doomed. No, Leafe, no...

=Yugi, I hope you've come to the point of realizing that this is a war, and if she's our enemy, I have no choice.=

^B-b-but how could you be so HEARTLESS?!^

\Who? Leafe? Or... me?\

A great feeling of anger rose within our bubble of silence, and it popped with Crygif's ear-splitting attack. I retaliated quickly, the beams again piercing the darkness.

And no one could guess the relief that rose within me as Myst shouted into the night air, "I'M NOT ON YOUR SIDE ANYMORE!!! FOR RIGHTFULNESS!!! FOR TRUTH!!!!" She quietly added, "For Yugi..."

The battle once again wound itself upon us, everyone attacking with his/her full devotion to his/her cause.[1] Swords clashed, spells blasted; betrayal and deceit joined the atmosphere around us. Off to the side, Tea and Shimmer wound up fleeing with the rest of the village.

::What's going on?!::

  
#R-r-r-r-relene! HELP!#

War, that's what's going on! Hurry and help us!

=Of course, unless you're a traitor like Myst.= I cringed at Leafe's bitter thoughts, my anger driving the sword's ray even further.

::WHAT?!::

=Wow, that seems to be a popular phrase today. How about you simply just FIGHT?!=

[How about you not? This world will soon all surrender to me, and you'll all experience the pain I went through before!!!]

"What happened?" I asked weakly. I didn't get a response, and in my heart, I knew I wouldn't get one. The battle continued around us, ever-shifting, ever moving in its disastrous, yet sparking ways. Paring blows, one after another, neither side moving so much as an inch. Sure, we pushed them back, they pushed us back, but in the end, we were in the same position as before. Except that my emotions swarmed in a chaotic mess inside.

"I don't want to do this, I don't want to fight this war!" Myst shouted, creating a mirror wall. Reggie didn't reply. "I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT!!!"

Reggie took a single blow from Myst's staff and smirked as Myst froze over, eye twitching, body unmoving. "You can't attack me without losing something. Just as you can't earn freedom without a price." Reggie slowly pointed her staff at Myst. "And your price... was just raised."

A red beam shot out.

Screaming filled the air.

Sparkles landed in my hair.

I found myself where Myst used to be, sparkles hovering around me, and to be truthful, that is one part I do not wish to tell. It's my own private moment. It's a part I would like to leave out in this epic tale.[2] But in the end, I stayed still, and Crygif attacked me.

The miraculous thing is, my sword and Myst's wand both glowed. A small figure rose from the star of the staff, one that was not unlike Shimmer. I didn't know it then, but now I know that the card was called Happy Lover. It glowed some more, then disappeared. The beam stopped harmlessly right before touching me.

=Here comes the quote of the day, I'll bet.=

"WHAT?!"

=Told ya.=

But I was in no mood for Leafe's puns. Myst was gone... gone...

"What happened?!"

The Happy Lover came back and hovered in front of Crygif. "Love, that's what!" it chirped, before vanishing for good.

Crygif stared at the spot in the sky, and looked back and forth between the village and the spot before his face. I still lay gasping and sobbing, wallowing in my misery.

Crygif sighed, flapping his wings and taking off, using his power to teleport his troop one by one to their rightful place – home. "I can't fight this power anymore," he softly sighed.

It's all happened for a strange feeling for one that happened to betray me, but betrayed herself in the end... love. For Myst. For the spy that turned this revolution around.

Reggie, out of fright and confusion, shook the Soul Gliss roughly. "WHAT HAPPENED?!" she screamed into the silent and unreplying night. Recarn walked behind her and gently laid a hand on her shoulder, bringing a shudder through the mutated mystical elf.

"It's over."

::What happened, really?:: Relene also whispered this into the night for Magest to hear.

Leafe sighed, submitting to the truth. "I'll tell you all of it," he whispered, gently pushing Relene and Magest into a quiet alley to talk.

Crygif took off, taking Reggie, Recarn, and Chance with him. A puffy white cloud billowed beneath them, the pure aura contrasting against the dark summer night sky. "Someday, we'll meet again... but I am at peace with the world," he told the land, the cloud rising into the sky. Shaking on the ground, I looked up in time to see them disappear into a star's light.

_"Starlight, star bright, the first star I saw tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, that Myst will come back the next night,"_ I chanted, sighing. I hoped that worked.

I *hoped*. But what's there left to hope for?

Above me in the clouds, I could sense some mental conversations.

@Umm... Reggie?@

@Hi in there?@

...Reggie...

%Yeah, what?%

@What's on your mind?@

%Her sparkles filled the arena. Her insisting, pleading words now tore at my heart, the words that I had ignored until now. I had destroyed the one that taught me how to understand. . ..%

@......................@

Yes, I understand what she means.

@Somewhat, I feel in my heart that I do, too.@

%How could you? You don't even correspond with the legend.%

Legend? What legend?

%In the first battle of the Scepters, the Soul Gliss-wielder won the fight, and darkness was demolished. But I won this battle on the surface... but I also believe that history repeats itself.%

@But didn't you win this time?!@

%On the surface, Recarn, on the surface....%

Recarn, not everything is what it appears to be.

%Yes, yes... she has won... because I have submitted to the light.%

A beam shot through the sky and entered the sword in my hand. I clasped my hand on the sword, seeing what Crygif sent. It was a memory... filled with darkness and pain. It rolled through my head like a video... the memory... the pain...

***

And then we were all sent back to the world we knew.

***

Kaiba found Mokuba's body soulless-- just a shell.

***

Joey and I woke the same night that we left for the Duel Monsters World.

***

It wasn't a dream—it couldn't have been; the experience was impossible to forget, and my naiveté had left me.

***

Hopefully, you shall remember the greatest battle of all time... the Journey of Wandering Hearts.

~~Owari~~

  
[1] I took an English test a little bit before I wrote this. X_X So... yeah.

[2] Don't worry, you get little flashbacks in the epilogue.

[3] I actually considered naming Reggie "Persephone." I eventually voted against it because it had nothing to do with 'revenge.' But if I had, The phrase "Chance, Persephone, and Reggie" would have the abbeviation CPR! [AKA: I get to french-kiss Ryou in order to revive him! ^x^]

********  
  


R Amythest: Owari means end. *blinks* Well, there's still the epilogue, but Yugi was the storyteller all along for this. Notice that gaps are still left, even with Yugi's end summary. Why? *winkwink* This story was told in past tense, the next is in present tense. *grins* So Yugi doesn't KNOW what happens to Myst and who Audra is! *evil laugh* But I do!

Yugi: Why couldn't you have hinted more that I told this thing?!

R Amythest: Uh... 'cause I didn't plan for that?

Yugi: -_-

R Amythest: anyhoo... I've already gotten the Epilogue typed up, and will be posted after three people review for this chapter! ^.^ Ja ne!


End file.
